


Pidge

by expelled_sleep_demon



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Childhood Memories, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Magic Meta, Other, Parenthood, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:48:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 42,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27662939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/expelled_sleep_demon/pseuds/expelled_sleep_demon
Summary: Jason is forced to confront his childhood trauma when he takes a neighborhood thief into his care.
Relationships: Kyle Rayner/Jason Todd
Comments: 38
Kudos: 80





	1. Robin

Jason knew his share of con artists and common criminals, but he'd never met anyone quite like her. She was reckless, emotionally-guarded, and obnoxious, but above all, she made him laugh. He didn't know her name, but now and then they would cross paths, and Jason would turn a blind eye to her antics.  
  
He figured she wasn't hurting anyone, so he allowed it until she tried to pickpocket him one day while he was eating inside the delicatessen. "You don't have much sense, do you?" Jason asked, grabbing hold of her hand. She tried to pull away and let out a nervous laugh.  
  
"Okay, I'm sorry," she apologized, still trying to pull away, "You can let go. I said sorry-."  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Jason asked, releasing her wrist. She held her wrist and stuck her tongue out at him. Jason let out an involuntary laugh. "It's not funny-."  
  
"You thought it was funny," she smiled a big gap-toothed smile. Jason held back a second laugh and picked her up, sitting her at the counter stool.  
  
"I didn't think you were funny. I think you're crazy. You hungry?" Jason asked. She chewed her lip as she thought it over.  
  
She wiped her hands on her jeans and nodded, holding a finger up to his face as a warning. "I wanna see some ID," she replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled his ID out of his wallet, handing it to her. Jason watched for a moment as she looked back and forth at the ID and him.  
  
"It won't do you much good, being as that's a student ID from seven years ago," Jason replied.  
  
"How come you don't have a real ID like a regular grownup?" She gave it back to him.  
  
"Because I died a little bit after I got this," Jason answered. Her lips curled up into a smile, and she shook her head.  
  
"Get outta here. You're lying," the young girl replied. Jason shook his head. "For real?"  
  
Jason nodded. "What do you wanna eat before I change my mind?" Jason asked. She looked up at the menu and turned to him.  
  
"I'll eat what you eat," she replied.  
  
Jason tapped the bell on the counter and waited for the waiter to ask for his order. "She'll eat what I eat," Jason whispered to himself. The waiter came over to their side and asked for Jason's order. "The kid and I are gonna have four franks with onions, cheese, and hot peppers... And uh... A side of chili fries and two orange floats," Jason replied. She lit up, and as the waiter walked away, Jason turned and whispered, "How old are you? Six? Seven?"  
  
"I'm seven," she replied. Jason nodded, tapping the counter with his fingers. "How old are you? Thirty?"  
  
"I'm twenty-two," Jason narrowed his eyes at her, "Are you crazy? What does thirty even look like to you?" She laughed. "Thirty?"  
  
"I dunno, Mister," she shrugged, "How come you wanna feed me? What do you want?"  
  
"I want you to stop stealing from people. It's all fun and games when you take a dollar here and there or pull that change for a twenty scam, but what's gonna happen when someone who isn't me catches onto you, and they send you somewhere you don't wanna be?" Jason asked. She leaned forward, laying her head on her arms at the counter. She didn't answer him. "I was dumb once too. I get it-." The waiter put their food down on the counter, and Jason thanked him and asked for an extra plate. The waiter nodded and came back with another dish, and Jason moved the little girl's food onto it. She immediately dug in without so much as a word to Jason, and he started eating quietly beside her. By the time he got to his second frank, she had already finished a frank and her fries. Jason separated one of his franks into two halves and put one of the halves on her plate.  
  
"But it's yours," she replied, looking up at him with her big light-colored eyes.  
  
"Are you full?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "Then it's yours... You gonna stay out of trouble after today?"  
  
She shrugged, biting into the half a frank that Jason gave her. She didn't speak until she was finished. "You're only mad because I stole from you."  
  
"One, you didn't steal from me because you got caught, two, I'm not mad, and three, I'm only doing this for you because you're a little kid," Jason replied harshly, and she shrugged it off. "Want the other half, or do you wanna start on your float?" She didn't answer. She took her spoon and pushed the ice-cream all the way down to the bottom of the glass. Jason went back to eating, watching her mix her ice cream out of the corner of his eye. Once he was done eating, he used his straw to drink some of the orange soda in the glass, and then he ate some of the ice-cream separately.  
  
After they were done, he paid for the food and service, and Jason walked her outside. She burped, and he smiled to himself. "At least I know you're full," he replied before taking his wallet out once more and giving her a handful of cash. "Be good, kid." He turned to leave her, and just as the breeze hit him, he stopped.  
  
"Do you want your money back?" She asked. Jason shook his head, still unable to make himself turn back for her. "Did you forget something?"  
  
"Where are you staying tonight?" Jason asked, turning around, and she was gone. He took a Lyft home, but he couldn't shake the thought of a seven-year-old girl all alone in Gotham. It bothered him for hours until he felt he had no choice but to go out and look for her.  
  
"I'm not Bruce. I'm not him," Jason whispered to himself, "This has nothing to do with Bruce... I'm just a concerned citizen." He repeated it over and over again as if he wanted to convince himself. He drove around, trying to look for her. He got out of his car and looked around in places where he might have hidden when he was her age, except Jason knew he wasn't as witty as she was at that age.  
  
He looked for her for nearly three hours and almost gave up before he saw her struggling with someone in Crime Alley. "Jesus Christ," Jason mumbled as he ran over and shoved a man into the wall.  
  
"This ain't none of your business!" the man hollered. Jason could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. Jason raised his fist and stood there for a moment. The little girl's jaw was clenched as tears rolled down her cheeks, and Jason lowered his fist.  
  
"Get the fuck out of here," Jason commanded in a low gravelly tone. The man stumbled off, leaving Jason alone in the alley with the little girl. She fiercely pushed a hand across her face to wipe away her tears. Jason knelt down and reached out to look at a cut on her face, and she backed away. Jason swallowed hard. "I wasn't-."  
  
"Why didn't you hurt him?" she cried out. Jason opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't form words. "All you did was make him madder!" She hit Jason with her fists, and he grabbed her hands. His thoughts raced, and his heart pounded in his chest.  
  
"Don't you think that I know that? Jesus! I'm trying!" Jason yelled, letting go of her hands. She stood there, her forehead wrinkled and tears still streaming down her face. "I'm sorry... I'm not mad at you. You're turning out to be a pain in the ass, but I'm not mad at you... I was hoping you had a place to stay and that I was worrying for no reason. Was that your father?" She shook her head.  
  
"My grandpa..."  
  
"Wanna come with me until I find you someplace to stay tomorrow?" Jason asked. She shrugged and wiped her tears away once more. "Just one night, and we won't ever have to be bothered with each other again." She nodded. "Come on." He took her hand, and he let her sit in the backseat of the car.  
  
"What's your name?" she asked.  
  
"It was on my ID," Jason replied, "My name's Jason. What's yours?"  
  
"I don't like my name," she answered as he made his way back home.  
  
"I'll come up with something, don't worry-."  
  
"Did your dad kill you... When you died?" she asked.  
  
"No, my dad didn't kill me. It was someone else... So you finally believe me?" Jason asked. She didn't answer. "Listen, kid, you're not gonna get killed."  
  
He drove in silence for a while until he arrived home and realized she was fast asleep with her thumb in her mouth. He unbuckled her seatbelt and carried her inside, being careful not to wake her when he removed her socks and shoes and tucked her in. He slept in the next room on the couch, waking up to her screaming what felt like moments later. He was up and by her bedside before his eyes opened all the way.  
  
She fought him at first, but when she saw the concern written all over his face, she relaxed and lay back down. He tucked her back in, and he turned to leave her. "Thank you, Jason," she whispered. He turned and smiled in the dark before going back to the couch and drifting back to sleep. He awakened much later in the night to check on her, and she lay fast asleep in her bed, so he went back to the couch.  
  
She got up once more just before dawn and wandered around Jason's house. After looking through some of his things, she sat on the floor across from him. She reached to tap his face, and he grabbed her hand. "You have boundary issues," Jason mumbled, still half-asleep.  
  
"What's that?" she asked. Jason sat up and pushed a hand through his hair.  
  
"Boundaries are rules about respecting people's space and feelings," Jason replied, "And my boundaries include not touching me while I'm asleep. How's your face?" She touched the cut on her bottom lip.  
  
"It's okay," she whispered, "What's for breakfast?"  
  
"We haven't even brushed our teeth yet, and who said you were staying for breakfast?" Jason asked. She sat down on the couch next to him and crossed her arms. "Now, why are you mad?"  
  
"You're still mad at me for trying to take your money, huh?" she asked. Jason sighed.  
  
"Why are you so convinced I'm mad at you?" Jason asked in a sharp tone of voice.  
  
She laughed sarcastically. "See! You're a mean talker," she replied.  
  
"I am not-." Jason stopped to correct his tone. "I'm not a mean talker, and I'm not mad at you-."  
  
"Then why can't I stay for breakfast?" she asked, standing up on his couch to make eye contact with him. Jason gestured for her to sit down and took a deep breath.  
  
Jason got up and looked for a change of clothes. "You can have french toast and bacon, then we're gonna go get your things."  
  
"You're gonna take me back?" she half-yelled. Jason thought about it for a second and sighed.  
  
"Got any other family?" Jason asked, digging through his drawers for the smallest shirt he had. He pulled a t-shirt out of his drawer and gestured with his head for her to come closer. Jason held the shirt up to her. "Go put this on, and brush your teeth." Jason pulled an extra toothbrush out of his drawer and handed it to her along with the t-shirt.  
  
She threw the shirt over her shoulder and tugged his sleeve. "This isn't gonna fit," she whispered as if he didn't know, and he nodded. She left to go to the bathroom, and Jason turned to make his bed, to see that she had already made the bed herself. He pulled his clothes from a drawer and set them on top of the dresser. Jason heard the shower come on, and he went to the kitchen to start breakfast. She stepped out of his bathroom in the t-shirt and punched his leg. He smiled.  
  
"You almost look like a respectable little criminal. Hold on," Jason whispered, going into a drawer in the kitchen for cooking twine, and he wrapped it around her waist, adjusting the shirt to make it look more like a dress. "That's alright for now, I think."  
  
She stood on the tips of her toes to look at the food cooking on the stove. "You were scared last night... How come?" she asked, her affect flat and almost far away.  
  
"I wasn't-. I wasn't afraid of him. I just didn't want to hit him in front of you. I wouldn't have wanted someone to punch my dad in front of me when I was your age, even though he was a terrible person-."  
  
"You must've been one dumb kid," she whispered. Jason chuckled.  
  
"No, I was just confused... But, hey, if you want me to punch your grandpa in the face next time I see him, I'll make sure to give him a nice big shiner," Jason replied. She let out a laugh. "I'm serious. I'll do it." They made eye contact, and Jason flashed her a smile.  
  
She showed him her teeth and pointed back and forth between herself and Jason. "We've got the same smile." Jason nodded and flipped the bread with a spatula. "You've got a real hard time being nice to people, huh?"  
  
"I don't have a hard time being nice to people-."  
  
"You just don't like me then?" she asked. Jason didn't answer her. "So, you don't like me?"  
  
Jason flipped the bacon and turned the heat off on the french toast. "Why are you so worried about whether or not I like you?" Jason asked. She walked out of the kitchen and sat on his couch. Jason closed his mouth and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "She's not me. I was nothing like her," Jason mumbled to himself. He took the bacon out of the skillet and made their plates, and he poured two glasses of apple juice. He brought their plates and sat them on the coffee table in front of her, and then brought their cups. She turned the tv on.  
  
She flipped through the channels, and Jason stopped her. "You can look through the guide," Jason suggested. She ignored him. "It's a lot faster."  
  
"No, it isn't," she replied. She handed Jason the remote and started eating.  
  
Jason's eyes widened, and he looked at her. "You can't read the words, can you?" he asked. She looked down and kept eating quietly. "When's the last time you went to school?"  
  
She took a sip of juice to help her wash down her food. "Can't make me go to school if I don't wanna," she mumbled, "And you can't make me go live with a bunch of strangers."  
  
"Kid! I'm a stranger," Jason reminded her. She shook her head.  
  
"Nuh-uh! I see you when you see me. You even helped me a few times," she replied. Jason nodded and sighed.  
  
"You can't stay with me. Listen, the best I can do is put you in the academy-."  
  
"That's school!" she yelled.  
  
Jason turned on cartoons and took an aggressive bite of his bacon. "I'm not a kid-friendly person. I don't even really do well with people my age. What would I do with you? I kill people, kid, you don't want anything to do with me. I promise," Jason replied. She picked over the last of her breakfast. "What?"  
  
"I don't care that you kill people," she answered. Jason's eyes widened. "You're mean, and you have a lot of dangerous stuff, but you're a lot better than a lot of grownups. When you caught me, I thought you were gonna hurt me... But you didn't. You're not that bad of a grownup." Jason sighed.  
  
"You can stay here, on two conditions. One is that you let me teach you how to read, and two that you don't steal from anybody while you're with me. I catch you stealing, and I'm gonna drop off at the first boarding school I can find," Jason replied. She smiled and went back to eating her breakfast. "Hey, do we have a deal?"  
  
"Okay, Jason," she replied, reaching out to shake his hand. He took her small hand in his and shook it.  
  
Jason dug into his breakfast and took a sip of apple juice. "And yeah, we do have the same smile..." She smiled faintly and finished her juice.


	2. P-I-G-E-O-N

Jason took her out to get some decent clothes, and he picked up a few books. "I'm not wearing a dress," she replied. Jason put the dress back on the rack and gestured for her to pick something. Jason followed her through the store until she pointed to something. He pulled it off the wall and held it up to her, putting it back to look for a smaller size. "That's it?" Jason asked. She took his hand and pointed to a bunch of sweats that were folded up neatly. Jason smiled and put a few sets in the basket. "That all?" Her eyes widened, and she tugged his sleeve, and he knelt down for her to whisper in his ear.  
  
"Do you sell drugs?" she asked. Jason's forehead wrinkled, and he chuckled.  
  
"I don't sell drugs... I've got a rich dad," Jason answered. She smiled. "Get what you want. You're gonna be with me for a while, so you might as well get what you like." Jason followed her around while she picked out little items that she liked. They shopped for things for her for about an hour. After he piled her things into the car, he took her back home. She immediately went to the bathroom to try on her clothes while he started putting her bed together.  
  
She came out of the bathroom in the overalls Jason got her and a red hooded jacket. "Yeah?" she asked. He nodded.  
  
"C'mere and hand me the screwdriver," Jason replied.  
  
She obeyed, looking over his shoulder at the pictures in the instruction book. "Is this gonna be my room?" she asked. Jason nodded. "Oh..."  
  
Jason pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing to put together her bed. She sat next to him and watched him work. He seemed to work faster than either of them could look at the pictures. "Jason?" she asked. He looked at her, and she asked, "Are you mean because somebody hurt your feelings?" Jason swallowed hard.  
  
"You're not gonna leave this alone until I give you an answer, huh?" Jason asked. She nodded. "Sometimes the grownups in our lives have trouble talking about things, so instead of talking about stuff, they wait a while and pretend it's fixed... And you end up being stuck with a whole bunch of feelings that suck," Jason answered.  
  
"And that's why you're mean?" she asked, holding onto the instruction booklet.  
  
"Yup," Jason answered.  
  
"Is your mean dad and your rich dad the same guy?" she asked. Jason shook his head. "Were they married?"  
  
"Nope," Jason answered, "They didn't know each other."  
  
"Does your rich dad not wanna talk about you being a zombie?" she asked. Jason furrowed his brows. "What's it like dying and then being alive again? Were you scared?" Jason nodded.  
  
He stood up, picking her up and moving her aside as he started lining up the parts. "It was. I was all by myself for a little bit, and it wasn't like being dead for a few minutes and doctors bring you back... I was gone. I was buried, so my dad didn't know I was alive. It was painful and scary and lonely, and there's not a single feeling in this world that's worse than that," Jason replied. She stepped close to him and reached out her hand, but she hesitated for a moment before embracing him. He didn't hug back. He didn't want to spook her.  
  
After she hugged him, she went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice, and stood there until she finished drinking. Jason couldn't help but feel comforted as he worked, pushing the thought to the back of his mind as he put her bed together. He worked fast, only stopping to drink a glass of juice that she brought him. "Thanks, kid," he responded, "I can't call you kid forever... What's your name?"  
  
"I don't like it," she answered.  
  
"Well, I'll name you then. I'm gonna call you Lonnie until I can come up with something more permanent. How about that?" Jason asked.  
  
"That's a boy's name," she replied.  
  
"Nope, I think that's your name for the time being... And for the record, there are girls named Lonnie," Jason countered. She nodded, bouncing her head from one side to the other as if she really put thought to how it sounded.  
  
"Okay," Lonnie replied, "I guess that's better. Jason, isn't that heavy?" Jason shook his head.  
  
Jason went back and tightened the screws as he moved the structure to see if it was sturdy. "This isn't bad, not bad at all," Jason replied.  
  
"Could you move it if you wanted to?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I could move it... Why?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head.  
  
"You're gonna get mad," Lonnie replied. Jason put the tools aside and leaned up against the loft structure.  
  
Lonnie looked at Jason and gestured for him to say something. "Well, if you don't wanna tell me, I'm not gonna make you," Jason mumbled, looking away from her playfully. Lonnie crossed her arms, pretending to be irritated, but she let out a giggle. "Okay, tell me." She shook her head. "Please?" She tugged at his sleeve, and he bent forward to let her whisper to him.  
  
"I don't like sleeping in a room by myself," she whispered. Jason nodded, and he started pulling the loft bed to his room.  
  
"I didn't either when I was your age," Jason replied, "I used to curl up at the foot of my mom's bed when my dad wasn't home..." Lonnie picked up his screwdriver and hammer and brought them to him.  
  
Lonnie sat on his bed and watched him start on the bottom part of her bed.  
  
"You know how to use all that stuff?" Lonnie asked, pointing to the weapons on his wall. Jason nodded, cutting one of the boxes open.  
  
"Bet you didn't learn all that at school," she replied. Jason stopped working and looked at her.  
  
"Lonnie, quick question... If every time you picked a pocket, you only got five dollars, but you need one-hundred and sixty-five dollars to buy a bike, how many pockets would you have to pick?" Jason asked.  
  
"That'd take forever!" Lonnie replied. Jason smiled as he opened his mouth to say something, and she said, "Thirty-three people."  
  
Jason cursed under his breath. "How the hell did you know that? Actually, no. Let me ask you a different question. I offer you five-hundred to write me a letter. How do you spell my name?"  
  
"That's a stupid question," Lonnie replied, "Nobody writes letters."  
  
"No, it's not a dumb question. You know what, Lonnie, you're a smart kid. When you learn how to read, you'll run circles around these kids. Don't you wanna be able to do anything you wanna do?" Jason asked. Lonnie shrugged. "What do you wanna do, even if it's just for fun?"  
  
Lonnie lay back on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Anything?" Lonnie asked. Jason made an affirmative noise, and Lonnie whispered, "I wanna be a firefighter."  
  
"There's a written test for that. Once you learn to read, you could pass it, I bet you that you could... Know what your letters look like?" Jason asked as he went back to working on building her bed. Lonnie nodded. "Go in my top drawer in my bedside table and grab a pen and that notepad." Lonnie sat up and pulled the notebook and pen out of his drawer. "L-O-N-N-I-E. Put that on paper." Lonnie nodded and wrote each letter, repeating them to herself.  
  
He left the room to go get the mattresses for the loft bed and bottom bunk. Lonnie showed him the letters. "Is my 'N' right?" she asked. Jason looked at her handwriting and smiled.  
  
"Yup. It's just fine, you got your letter sounds down?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie showed him her name spelled out in all capitals, and she asked, "What's it say?"  
  
"It's your name. At least, it's your first name... I might give you a middle name at some point, but who knows," Jason replied, "But for the moment, you've got just a first name." Lonnie took the notebook back and wrote it over and over again, looking at the letters. She was so focused on spelling her name that she didn't see Jason putting the bedding on the loft bed and bottom bunk, and she didn't notice that he left the room.  
  
Jason started on dinner, leaving most of the items he cut in the fridge before going to check on Lonnie. "Jason?" Lonnie asked. He stood in the doorway. "Do you really think I'm smart?" Jason nodded.  
  
Lonnie smiled to herself, and Jason left her to her work. He made pastrami sandwiches and poured two glasses of water. "Lonnie! Come eat!" He took some pizza rolls out of the freezer and put them in a bowl, throwing them in the microwave. He waited until they were heated up to call her a second time. "Lonnie?" She came out of his room and took their plates to the table. Jason took their glasses and bowl to the table, and she took her sandwich apart, eating each piece individually.  
  
Jason took a sip of water and a bite of his sandwich. She reached across the table and paused as if she were waiting for his permission. Jason nodded. She took one and wrapped it in lettuce before popping it into her mouth. "How come you don't have kids?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I died a kid, Lonnie, and you told me yourself that I'm not very nice," Jason replied, "I wouldn't make a good dad." Lonnie bit into the tomato from her sandwich and scrunched up her nose. "Don't like tomatoes? Here put it on my plate. I'll finish that part." Lonnie gave him her tomato, and Jason stuck it into his sandwich. "Like onion?" Lonnie smiled at him and ate her onion all by itself. "Ewww!" Jason exclaimed playfully, and she laughed. Jason took a few pizza rolls for his plate and ate them one after the other before going back to his sandwich. Once he finished eating, he drank his glass of water and waited for Lonnie to finish eating.  
  
"Uh-oh," Lonnie whispered, and Jason looked up at her. She held a hand over her mouth.  
  
Jason reached across the table and gently took her hand. "Let me see."  
  
"You're gonna get mad," she answered through her hand.  
  
"I promise I won't get mad. I just wanna see what's wrong-." He removed her hand, and Jason saw that her tooth came out. "Go rinse your mouth out, okay. It's just a baby tooth." Her hands shook as he took her tooth, and tears streamed down her face. Jason got up and picked her up, realizing that she'd never lost a tooth. He didn't know what to say, so he just rocked back and forth, patting her on her back.  
  
Lonnie held on tight to him, and he took her to the kitchen and let her rinse her mouth out. After her mouth stopped bleeding, Jason could tell that she was embarrassed about crying, so he took the bottom of his shirt and wiped her face. "Wanna finish lunch?" Jason asked. She nodded. Jason helped her down from the counter and walked her back to the table.  
  
After she finished eating, they sat on the couch and watched a movie, and Lonnie's eyes started to droop. He turned to look at her, and she pulled her hood up. He went back to watching the movie before she curled up by his side and went to sleep. He didn't notice until the movie ended that she was even asleep, but he carried her back to their room, and he tucked her into the bottom bunk.  
  
While she slept, Jason cleaned up a little and set out a book for later. He put a dollar underneath her pillow and checked his phone for messages. He answered a few texts, set out Lonnie's pajamas for the night, and took a deep breath.  
  
He let her sleep until dinnertime when he came to wake her gently with a tap on her shoulder. "Lonnie, you hungry?" Jason asked. She rubbed her eyes and nodded. "Okay then, come on." She got out of bed and followed him to the table, where their dinner was already set out.  
  
She dug in and drank her glass of milk afterward, and Jason told her to take her bath for the night. He finished eating right after he heard the shower come on, and he washed the dishes and set his own pajamas out for the night. Once she was done with her shower, he went to take his, letting her watch tv while she waited for him.  
  
After Jason was done, he sat on his bed and let her sit next to him as he opened a children's book and read the first page, making sure she followed along with him, and then he had her repeat the words she recognized. "See the letters, G-E-O. Know what sound that makes?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "If the word is pigeon, but the letters in the middle are G-E-O, what part do you think that is? It's okay to guess."  
  
Lonnie said the word to herself a few times and said, "Juh," just loud enough for Jason to hear.  
  
"Exactly. Now, what part of pigeon is the P?" Jason asked.  
  
"Puh," she answered, and she sounded the word out. Jason nodded as she put it all together for herself.  
  
Jason put the book to the side and asked her to spell it for him from memory. "P-I-G-E-O... N?" Jason smiled at her.  
  
"That was perfect... We'll have you ready to take the written in no time," Jason whispered, "But I think that's enough for today. Time for bed, okay?" Lonnie nodded, and he tucked her in.  
  
Lonnie stared at him. "My sister used to tuck me in," Lonnie whispered.  
  
"What happened?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie closed her eyes and answered in a very calm voice, "She got killed." Jason frowned. She opened one eye. "Is my tooth gonna grow back?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason smiled at her. "Yeah, your tooth is gonna grow back," Jason whispered. She closed her eye, and Jason got up and got ready to leave.  
  
"Jason?" Lonnie whispered. He stopped in the doorway. "Can I come?" Jason shook his head. "Are you gonna kill someone?" Jason shook his head.  
  
"Put your jacket on, and stay in the car until I come and get you," Jason replied. Lonnie ran to put on her shoes and grab her jacket, and he made sure she was buckled in. "You warm? I'll only be gone for a little while." She nodded. He drove fast and locked her in the car after rolling the front window down just enough for her to breathe. She waved at him as he went around to the trunk to get his helmet. He left her to sit on a van across the street. Jason made sure to get a good look at the hired muscle and how many girls were getting in the car before he got any closer. He put on his helmet and took out the one streetlight keeping the alley lit, and he took out the muscle first, waiting for someone to come outside. A man walked out into the alley cursing, and Jason held a gun to his head while he disarmed him.  
  
"Hey man, money's inside-."  
  
"Shut up," Jason whispered, "Only reason why I don't blow your head off right now is because of those girls in the car." Before the man could say anything, Jason grabbed him by the back of his head and smashed his face into the wall. As he lay unconscious, Jason took his cellphone and knocked on the car door. One of the girls opened it, and he put a number into the phone and handed it to her. "Talk to them. They'll take care of you. You can all go home." He closed their door back and strung both men up by their legs from the fire escape, and he made his way back to the car.  
  
Lonnie looked at him as he took off his helmet. "You're him," Lonnie whispered. Jason frowned. He was sure that she would have an adverse reaction to his identity, but a smile spread across her face, shocking him. "I didn't think he was real..." Jason got in the car, and he put his helmet in the passenger's seat.  
  
"I'm real. Did anybody bother you?" Jason asked. She shook her head.  
  
"No. Can we have a snack?" Lonnie replied. Jason chuckled.  
  
"It's too late for a snack, Lonnie," Jason answered, shaking his head. "If you can spell your name for me out loud, I'll let you have ice cream for breakfast in the morning." Lonnie lit up.  
  
"L-O-N-N-I-E... Can I have jimmies too?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, you can have jimmies," Jason replied. Once they got back home, Jason tucked her back into bed and changed back into his pajamas, and got into his bed.  
  
He lay awake for a while, feeling a sort of peace wash over him for the first time since he was a child under Bruce's care. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep and restful sleep, only waking once to the sound of Lonnie screaming. He got out of bed. Her eyes seemed to be set on something in the far corner of the room that he couldn't see, and she turned to him, pointing at the invisible presence. He pulled her out of bed and held her. "Shh, Lonnie, I've got you-."  
  
"No! Look!" Lonnie cried out, and he started to see something almost alive in the corner of the room. He looked at Lonnie, and she pulled away to make eye contact with him, but her eyes were different.  
  
Jason stared at the corner of the room until the figure disappeared, and he felt an exhaustion fall over him, almost pulling him to his bed. He couldn't quite remember if he'd gotten up at all. It didn't feel real, but it didn't feel much like a dream either. By the time he awakened the next morning, he couldn't recall that night at all.


	3. P-O-P

When Jason woke up, Lonnie was curled up behind him so close that he almost rolled over onto her. "Lonnie?" Jason sat her up, and she pulled her thumb out of her mouth. She reached into the pocket of her hooded jacket and gave him back his dollar. "Lonnie, this is yours." She took it back, putting the dollar in her pocket.  
  
"You can't remember?" Lonnie asked. Jason furrowed his brows.  
  
"Remember what?" Jason asked. Lonnie glared at him and climbed over him and out of his bed. She got her clothes and went to brush her teeth. "What'd I do? Did I do something?" She closed the bathroom door in his face. "Jesus, Lonnie..." After she finished getting ready, she opened the door and walked past him. "Lonnie, come on. At least tell me what I don't remember." She looked at him and clutched her hair in a tight grip.  
  
"I'm not crazy! I saw it, and you saw it, and now you forgot just like everyone else! It was real!" Lonnie yelled, stomping her feet.  
  
Jason tried to reach out to her, softening his facial expression and tone, "Lonnie... Lower your voice-."  
  
Lonnie ran off and hid from him, and he took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. Jason went into his room and looked under the beds and in the closet. He went to the kitchen and looked in the cabinets. "Lonnie, I know you're upset. If you don't want to talk, I don't want to make you. I just want you to stop hiding."  
  
"You won't believe me!" she cried. Jason listened for her voice and opened the chest at the foot of his bed, picking her up. "Nobody does..." Jason rubbed her back as she sobbed and waited for her to calm down.  
  
"Lonnie, if you say something is real, I'll believe you," Jason whispered to her, "You like art, Lonnie?" She nodded. "How about we draw while we talk about it? I'll make you a milkshake, we'll watch tv..." She nodded. He put her down and went to get dressed and cleaned up before making her milkshake as promised.  
  
He looked through his drawer for colored pencils and paper before sitting at the table with her. She drank her milkshake quietly. Jason nudged her with his elbow. "I can see shadow people," Lonnie explained before drawing a tall, dark figure with bright-colored eyes. "You saw it too because I let you see it... But you don't remember. No one remembers..."  
  
Jason looked at her as she drew, waiting for her to look up and make eye contact with him. Once she looked up, he asked, "This happened before?" Lonnie nodded.  
  
"A couple times... And they made me take medicine, but it made me feel bad," Lonnie mumbled, "I don't want any medicine. I'm not sick." Jason nodded.  
  
He started drawing a picture, and he looked up at her, "I don't think you're sick... I believe you. I've seen a whole bunch of crazy things, and if you tell me it happened, then I trust you." She looked at him, and he continued to speak, "Do they always look the same?"  
  
Lonnie shook her head. "No, some are big, and some are small. Some have faces," Lonnie replied, aimlessly drawing a circle on the paper, looking as if she was being chastised.  
  
"Lonnie, have they ever hurt you?" Jason asked. She didn't say anything. "Okay, maybe I should ask a different question... Lonnie, have you ever spoken to them?" She nodded.  
  
"They're dead... But they're not the same as who they were when they were alive. I watched my sister die, and she got lost. She didn't know where to go, so she kept coming to me, but she was angry... I showed Grandpa and -." Lonnie trailed off.  
  
Jason switched colored pencils, and he tapped her side of the table. "He didn't believe you?"  
  
Lonnie took another sip of her milkshake, "I showed him, and he pushed me down the stairs." Jason clenched his fist involuntarily. "When I showed you, you weren't scared. Did you know him?" Lonnie asked. Jason shrugged.  
  
"Did the man have a face?" Jason asked. She shrugged.  
  
"He was a boy, not a man," Lonnie described. Jason took a big sip of his milkshake. Lonnie went back to drawing, and so did Jason. After she was done drawing her picture, she looked at Jason and tugged at his sleeve. "Can you wash my hair today?"  
  
Jason furrowed his brows and nodded. "I can do that," Jason whispered, "We might have to go to the store, though." Lonnie nodded.  
  
"You're not mean... I'm sorry," Lonnie apologized. She wanted to say something else, but she decided to hug him instead.  
  
Jason softened and hugged her back. "No, you were right. I was mean at first. I should've been a lot nicer," he replied tenderly. "I'm sorry that I wasn't very nice..." She drank the rest of her milkshake, and she lay her head on his arm.  
  
"I don't ever wanna go anywhere else," Lonnie replied. Jason smiled faintly and nodded.  
  
"Then you never have to go," Jason whispered, "We've got a little bit more to do today. We're gonna go to the store, and I'm gonna wash your hair, then we're gonna spell a few more words today, watch another movie, and at the very end of the day, we'll read together again."  
  
Lonnie furrowed her brows and smiled at him. "How come when you read with me it's fun, but at school it's bad?" she asked, and he laughed.  
  
"It's the attention. You're a smart kid. You just want somebody there with you. That's all," Jason explained.  
  
Lonnie took a sip of his milkshake, and he laughed. "How come you know that, but teachers don't?" Lonnie asked. Jason took one last drink before giving her the rest of his milkshake.  
  
"I've only got you to worry about. Teachers have a bunch of kids and a bunch of subjects to focus on... They don't have the time to really focus on you specifically, but lucky for both of us, I do," Jason replied. Lonnie held his phone in her hand, and he raised his brow. "Now, how did you do that?"  
  
"It was sticking out of your pocket," she replied, giving it back to him. "Can we take a picture?"  
  
Jason smiled and nodded, and she stood next to him. "Say cheese Lonnie," Jason replied, and she smiled big and wide, only stopping to tap him on the shoulder.  
  
"You're not smiling," Lonnie pointed out in a soft tone of voice. Jason smiled big, and she went back to smiling as well. He snapped the picture. "You don't look as scary when you smile."  
  
Jason tilted his head to the side. "I look scary?" Jason asked.  
  
"I think it's 'cause you're so big, and you always look angry... But you're not scary. You're just shy," Lonnie replied. Jason smiled at her.  
  
"Why do you think I'm shy?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie finished his milkshake before answering in a matter-of-fact voice, "Because you had to get used to me to be nice to me, and you didn't say as much at first. People always think shy grownups are mean." Jason took their glasses back to the kitchen and washed them out.  
  
"How'd you get so smart?" Jason asked. Lonnie took his hand. "Let's get our shoes on," Jason replied, swinging her hand. After they put their shoes on, they made their way to the store.  
  
Jason wandered around the hair aisle until a man stopped him. "Not sure what's right for her hair?" he asked. Jason nodded. The man and Jason had a short conversation where he helped Jason narrow down what he needed for Lonnie's hair, and Jason relaxed his shoulders.  
  
"Thank you," Jason smiled.  
  
"Us single dads gotta stick together," he replied before making his way to the next aisle.  
  
Lonnie looked at Jason and nudged him. "He thought you were my dad," Lonnie whispered, "Why didn't you tell him?" Jason shrugged.  
  
"It's just easier that way," Jason replied.  
  
Lonnie held onto a chain hanging from Jason's belt loops. "If you were my dad, would I call you dad?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head. "Daddy?"  
  
"Absolutely not," Jason laughed.  
  
"Old man?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'm twenty-two-years-old, Lonnie," Jason replied. Lonnie made long, stomping steps as she walked beside Jason.  
  
"Boss?" Lonnie suggested. Jason shook his head. "Pop?" Jason paused.  
  
"Honestly, I could be Pop," Jason replied. He took her out of the hair aisle, and they walked towards the medicine. He picked up some multivitamins and cough drops. "Lonnie, anything you wanna see at the store before we go?" Jason asked.  
  
She nodded and pointed to the back of the store where the toys were, and she showed him a set of blocks. Jason smiled and nodded, taking out his phone and doing something. "Jason, are you paying attention?" Lonnie asked. He nodded and put his phone in his pocket.  
  
"I'm paying attention. Put it in the basket," Jason replied. She obeyed him and stood there for a moment.  
  
Lonnie looked at the box and then at Jason. "Why?" Lonnie asked. "How come you picked me?"  
  
Jason placed a gentle hand on the back of her head and gestured for her to follow him. "I dunno, I think I was the pigeon in this scenario," Jason joked.  
  
"What's that mean?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Like a mark," Jason answered. Lonnie smiled, and they got in line. "Lonnie," Jason grabbed a lollipop and showed her the word, "Recognize the letters?" She nodded. "Which letters sound the same as your name? Show me."  
  
"The o's and the l's and the letter i," Lonnie showed him, and she tugged at the bottom of his shirt for him to crouch down so she could ask him a question in a low whisper, "Does it say lollipop?" Jason nodded. "How come there are two l's?"  
  
"Lol-li," Jason sounded out for her, "Two syllables, so the l's each have a job. Like the two n's in your name. Lon-nie."  
  
"Ohh," Lonnie whispered, "I like that." He put the items up on the belt, and he met eyes with the cashier.  
  
Lonnie stood on the tip of her toes to see the lady, and Jason picked her up. "She's got double n's in her name too," Jason described. The cashier smiled. "Good morning," Jason greeted her.  
  
"Good morning," the woman smiled and gave Lonnie a sticker.  
  
Lonnie smiled, and Jason nudged her. "Oh! Thank you," Lonnie smiled.  
  
"You're welcome, sweetie... I didn't know you had a daughter," the woman replied.  
  
Jason looked at Lonnie and smiled, shrugging casually before stating, "It's a pretty new development for both of us." He paid for their items and thanked the cashier for bagging them before making his way back home. Jason put the bags in the car, and Lonnie let a grin spread across her face. "What?"  
  
"Two people think you're my dad," she giggled. Jason chuckled, making sure she was buckled in before getting in the driver's seat.  
  
He looked back at her for a while before backing out, and he said, "I guess I can see it... Just barely. You can eat that lollipop if you find it in the bag. Just don't make a mess."  
  
"What's your favorite candy, Jason?" Lonnie asked, and he made a long, drawn-out humming noise as he thought.  
  
"Paçoca, it tastes like peanut brittle. It's a Brazillian thing. I think you'd like it," Jason replied, "What's your favorite?"  
  
"I like whoppers," Lonnie replied.  
  
Jason smiled. "Movie candy." When he parked the car, he let her help bring the bags in and took their shoes off. Jason set her up in a tall chair as he took the comb, he unbraided her hair. "Let me know if this hurts," Jason waited for her to turn to him and nod before he continued taking her hair down. She turned on cartoons.  
  
"Spell your name," Lonnie directed, gently.  
  
"J-A-S-O-N," Jason spelled it out slowly for her.  
  
Lonnie mouthed the letters to herself a few times. "The jay sound is how many letters?" Lonnie asked. "Is it one or two?"  
  
"It's two," Jason replied, "Come on, let's go wash your hair." Jason held her hand and helped her up on the kitchen counter.  
  
She lay back with her head underneath the sink faucet and whispered the letters to herself. "So, S-O-N spells the son part?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Uh-huh, and you put that together all by yourself," Jason replied. He turned the water on and rinsed her hair, and she closed her eyes. "Who used to wash your hair?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie chewed her lip. "Mama's friend," Lonnie replied, "They made my mama go to the hospital... And I had to go with grandpa. He's not her dad."  
  
"Oh, he's your dad's dad... I know how that is. You miss your mom?" Jason asked as he put shampoo in her hair and massaged it into her scalp before applying more to the rest of her hair.  
  
"She's not gonna wake up," Lonnie replied, "But she's alive. She's just sleeping." Jason frowned. "Sometimes I miss her, but sometimes I can't remember her."  
  
Jason rinsed her hair and wrapped it in a towel, and helped her down before taking her back to the tall chair and sectioning her hair to brush in conditioner. "I miss my mom sometimes, too," Jason replied.  
  
"When can I meet your dad?" Lonnie asked. Jason grew quiet. "Are you scared of him?"  
  
"I'm not scared of him... I just don't want you to meet him yet," Jason replied, "Let's get used to this first." Once he was done putting conditioner in her hair, he put a plastic shower cap over her hair and went to wash his hands. Lonnie followed him to the kitchen.  
  
She opened the fridge and took the salami out. "Where are the crackers?" Lonnie asked. Jason smiled and pulled the crackers from the high shelf. "How come I can't meet your dad?"  
  
"Because I don't want him to think I'm asking him for help taking care of you," Jason replied.  
  
"You want to show off?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, it's just... I have no long term plan for you yet, and I haven't even finished naming you, which to him is going to seem irresponsible... And I want to feel like I'm doing the right thing," Jason explained, "Besides, it's only been two days. I just want to get used to you first." Lonnie nodded and ate a few slices of salami with crackers.  
  
He ate a few slices as well and yawned. "Do you wanna take a nap?" Lonnie teased. He smiled and shook his head.  
  
He took a roll of crackers for himself and replied, "I think we should do some more spelling today. What did we spell last night?"  
  
"Pigeon," Lonnie replied.  
  
"Finish this, P-I-G..."  
  
Lonnie ate a slice of salami, and she looked up at him. "Um... No, wait... E-O-N?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, and she looked up at him as if she were waiting for something.  
  
"You're right," Jason replied. He took the salami and the crackers to the table and motioned with his head for Lonnie to follow him. He took a book and sat it on the table.  
  
"Did you like books when you were a kid?" Lonnie asked. Jason smiled fondly, and he left her at the table.  
  
"Wait there," Jason replied as he went back to their room, and he brought a book out from his night table.  
  
"My mom used to read this to me when I was your age," Jason smiled.  
  
Lonnie wiped her hands on her sweatshirt and looked at the cover of the book. "Was it a scary book?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"No, she used to read it to me when I was scared... And that was most of the time when I was your age," Jason explained. Lonnie sat still, waiting for him to continue, and Jason caught himself smiling at the thought of his mother.  
  
"Was she married to your rich dad?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"No, she was married to my mean dad," Jason answered.  
  
Lonnie nudged him and gave him the book. "Would it make you sad if you read it?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason shook his head, and he sat up on the couch. Lonnie sat next to him. Jason read the title and the author and illustrator's name before opening the book. As he read and showed her the pictures, she moved closer and closer to him until she was nearly sitting on his lap. He stopped reading and put the book aside and sat her on his knee, letting her turn the page before he continued.  
  
"Wait!" she exclaimed nervously. "Is the monster gonna die?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"No one dies. It's a good book, I promise," Jason whispered, and he continued reading. By the end of the book, she smiled her wide little smile.  
  
She turned a few pages back and laughed. "They're like us," Lonnie giggled.  
  
"Huh?" Jason asked.  
  
"I thought you were mean, so I called you mean, but you're not. You're just like me," Lonnie replied. Jason took a deep breath and smiled at her.  
  
Jason set her back on the couch and went back to eating. He tried to pretend that what she said didn't move him. She sat next to him and tapped his shoulder. "How do you spell nightmare?" Lonnie asked. He smiled.  
  
"N-I-G-H-T-M-A-R-E," Jason replied, "I'll write it down for you. It's kind of long."  
  
"How come there are so many letters?" Lonnie asked. Jason chuckled.  
  
"Because English is a weird language. We use all kinds of letters we don't really need. Like there are two d's in my last name, but I only need one," Jason explained. Lonnie nodded. She ate a small stack of salami in between two crackers, eliciting a laugh from Jason. "Is that a challenge?" Lonnie nodded, her mouth full. He made a stack of a slightly larger size and chomped down dramatically.  
  
Once lunch was over, Jason made a semi-successful attempt at plaiting her hair while following a tutorial video, and he tied her hair with a scarf, and he worked with her for about an hour on the sounds some letters make together. He noticed she was getting restless, fidgeting with the notebook, letting out deep tearful sighs, and then, she started to kick her feet before bursting into tears. He paused. "Lonnie?" Jason asked softly. "Do you want to take a break?" She didn't answer him, she just kept crying. "Lonnie, cut it out..." She seemed to get even more upset, and he tried to remind himself to be gentler. He didn't speak. He just lay there on the floor on his back, staring up at the ceiling, leaving one hand stretched out just in case she wanted to hold his hand. She cried for what felt like forever to Jason, and without warning, she lay with her face in his side. She put her thumb in her mouth, and the crying subsided. Jason didn't move an inch.  
  
He just lay there until her breathing smoothed out, and she sat back up, propping her elbows on his chest. "Jason?" Lonnie mumbled fearfully. He motioned for her to move her elbows, and he took the bottom of his shirt to wipe her face.  
  
"What happened?" Jason whispered sympathetically. He continued to wipe her face and try to comfort her, even though he was fighting the onset of a splitting headache.  
  
She yawned and answered, "My head hurts." Jason nodded and picked her up. "I think it's time for a nap. We got a lot done today."  
  
She followed him back to their room and climbed into her bed. He tucked her in and lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling until he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was dark, and she was standing in the doorway facing the outside of the room. "Lonnie?"  
  
"Do you want to see him?" Lonnie asked. Jason planted his feet on the floor and Lonnie turned to motion for him to come close. He got up and stood in the doorway, but he couldn't see anything. He squinted, and she squeezed Jason's hand. "You can talk to him," Lonnie whispered. Jason started to see a figure standing right in front of them and when he could finally make out the face in the dark, he gasped.


	4. Baby Steps

"Dad?" Jason asked. He could feel his heart race, and he swallowed hard.  
  
"Almost thought she was yours," Willis sucked his teeth, "You don't look happy to see me. Come on Pete-."  
  
Jason pushed Lonnie behind him. "Don't do that," Jason replied.  
  
"Wait, she said I could talk to you-."  
  
"She's seven. Don't put this on her," Jason replied.  
  
Willis nodded, chewing his lip. "You sound like your ma. She was always so soft on you, now look at you-." Lonnie stood in front of Jason and made Willis go away.  
  
Her chest heaved with every labored breath as she clenched her fist. "Lonnie?" Jason knelt down to her level, and she backed away.  
  
"I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't know-."  
  
Jason hugged her. "Lonnie, I know... I do," Jason reassured her. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. "Listen, how about you and me open your toy? We've got time to play a little bit," Jason suggested. He didn't want to admit to her that he was just as panicked as she was. "Come on, let's build a big house, okay?" Lonnie nodded, and Jason smiled for her.  
  
"You were scared of him," Lonnie whispered. He nodded, walking past her to grab the bag with her set of blocks, and he opened it.  
  
"I was, but I don't care how scared I get. I wouldn't let anybody hurt you, but thank you for trying to protect me."  
  
"So you're not mad at me?" Lonnie asked. Jason gestured for her to come to the living room, and he turned a light on. Lonnie sat on the floor across from him and started stacking the blocks. "What did he do to you?" Lonnie asked. Jason took a breath and began to stack blocks as well.  
  
"He used to hit us and scare us," Jason replied, condensing it so as not to bring up any bad memories.  
  
Lonnie nodded, "Maybe you got to come back because you're nicer than he is." Jason smiled as he made a small structure with the blocks. "I didn't think grownups played with toys."  
  
"To be honest, I don't, but it's always nice to have somebody to play with," Jason replied. She nodded.  
  
They played and talked for about an hour before Jason got her pajamas ready. She went to take her shower, and he put the blocks away. Once Lonnie was all cleaned up, Jason went and took his shower, cleaned up a little, and tucked her in. "Jason?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah?" Jason replied, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"What are we doing tomorrow?" Lonnie asked. Jason made a noise and turned to look at her.  
  
"Um... We can have pancakes, go to ACME and get lunch, go do something fun -I haven't figured out where yet- and then we'll come home and read for a little bit," Jason replied. Lonnie nodded.  
  
"What are you gonna do when I can read?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'm gonna buy a cake, a big one, and I'm gonna put your whole name on it," Jason replied.  
  
"Thought you said you didn't finish naming me," Lonnie turned to look at him.  
  
"I haven't yet, but I will just for that," Jason replied, "I'll have it figured out by then." He turned, waiting for an answer, only to see she was sucking her thumb and fast asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.  
  
He woke up early that morning to a sweet smell, and he stretched out in his bed. He got up and went to the bathroom, and after he finished getting ready, he went and checked on Lonnie in the kitchen. "Good morning, Jason, " Lonnie greeted him without turning away from the stove. "I was gonna surprise you."  
  
"Consider me surprised," Jason replied, looking around at the mess in the kitchen and the flour on Lonnie's face and pajamas. He took a paper towel, moistening it with water, and he wiped her face. "Need some help?" She shook her head. "I can wash the dishes," Jason suggested.  
  
"Okay," Lonnie replied. Jason chuckled and stood at the sink, washing out the measuring cups and drying them before hanging them back up.  
  
"Where'd you learn to make pancakes?" Jason asked as he put the milk away.  
  
"My sister. Can you reach the syrup?" Lonnie asked. He nodded, reaching above her head and setting the syrup on the counter. "Do you remember?"  
  
"Seeing my dad? Uh-huh," Jason answered and took a deep breath.  
  
Lonnie flipped the last of the pancakes and turned the stove off. "Are you okay?" Lonnie asked. He nodded. "It's okay if you're not okay." Jason nodded.  
  
"I'm okay. I was more startled than anything... How did you know I was scared?" Jason asked. Lonnie made his plate, and then she made her own as he tidied up around her.  
  
"When I let you see, you let me see too," Lonnie replied, and Jason took his plate.  
  
"I let you see what?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie took her plate and stepped down from her stool. "Your feelings... I didn't know who he was. If I did, I wouldn't have let him talk to you," Lonnie replied. Jason smiled. "Did I make enough pancakes?"  
  
"You did, thank you. It's not often anybody makes breakfast for me," Jason smiled, digging into his pancakes. He was surprised that they tasted so good. "Mm!" Lonnie smiled and laughed. "I don't know how you eat my cooking. I really don't know." Jason went back to devouring his pancakes in near silence, and Lonnie smiled at him and started on her pancakes.  
  
Once they were done eating, Jason thanked her and washed all her dishes. He cleaned up the kitchen and let her go get dressed. "I'm ready," Lonnie replied, and Jason chuckled.  
  
"Okay, go put your shoes on," Jason replied. He slipped his feet in his shoes and opened the door. "You wanna drive too?" Jason joked. Lonnie got in the backseat and buckled her seatbelt. Jason got in the driver's seat and looked at her in the rearview. "Shoes tied?" Lonnie nodded. "Warm?"  
  
"I'm ready," Lonnie replied excitedly. He smiled and drove to the store, playing the radio in the background.  
  
When they got to the store, Jason took Lonnie straight to the deli to stand in line. "You wanna order?" Jason asked.  
  
Lonnie shook her head and tugged on the chain on his pants. Jason crouched down. "I don't want tomatoes," Lonnie whispered. Jason nodded.  
  
"You like Italian dressing?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded.  
  
The woman working at the deli peeked over the counter and smiled, "Your daughter's adorable," the woman smiled.  
  
"Thank you," Jason smiled, "Say thank you, Lonnie."  
  
Lonnie thanked the woman, and Jason went on with his order. "Can I have grape juice?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded and ordered two. The woman wrapped their sandwiches up for them and handed Jason each juice, as he passed them to Lonnie.  
  
After they finished buying lunch, Jason took her to the park, and he sat on the bench while she played. He turned away for a second, and when he looked back, she was standing on top of the monkey bars. "Lonnie!" Jason called. She looked at him and sat down. "Where'd you learn to do that?" Jason asked.  
  
"I taught myself!" Lonnie yelled back to him.  
  
Jason paused for a moment and yelled, "Go ahead and play! Just be careful!" Lonnie nodded and let herself down to the ground. She went back around, and Jason watched as she pulled herself up, swinging her legs to get into a sitting position and carefully standing on the rungs. He made a small noise of surprise, and she walked across the monkey bars and then turned and made her way back across before letting herself back down.  
  
After doing that a few times, she got tired and came over to sit with Jason, and he wiped her hands and opened her juice. "You gonna eat too?"  
  
"Mhm," Jason answered as he opened their lunch bag and unwrapped their sandwich. He gave Lonnie her half, and they ate while they watched the other kids play. When she finished her half, Jason wiped her hands and face and sent her back out to play. He watched her play with the other children for a while until she ended up out of his line of sight, and he started hearing kids yelling. He got up and made his way over to the jungle gym, and he saw a bunch of children struggling to pull her off another girl. Jason shooed them away and pried Lonnie off of the other girl, who in turn spit in Lonnie's face.  
  
"Hey! What's wrong with you two?" Jason yelled.  
  
"They jumped me!" Lonnie yelled.  
  
The other little girl wiped her nose. "You're the one who came back to the park after you stole from my brother!" she replied.  
  
"How much did she take?" Jason asked as he reached into his wallet.  
  
"Five dollars!" she answered. Jason gave her a five.  
  
"I should let her wail on you for spitting in her face over five dollars. As much as I want to, I-." Lonnie spat on the little girl. "Well, I'll call that even. Pick your battles, lesson of the day..." Jason carried Lonnie back down to the bench, and he took their lunch back to the car.  
  
"It wasn't my fault!" Lonnie screamed. Jason held her with one arm facing outward as if she was an infant, and he put her down to wipe her face.  
  
She stared into his eyes, waiting for him to yell, and he whispered, "Did you hurt your knuckles punching that kid?" She laughed and shook her head. "I'm not mad at you for standing up for yourself if that's what you're thinking." Jason wiped her face with a wet wipe.  
  
Lonnie smiled at him, and he let her in the car.  
  
"Are we going home?" Lonnie asked. Jason got in the car and turned around.  
  
"Nuh-uh... Today is gonna be a fun day, I promise," Jason replied. He drove around for a little while, and they stopped at the roller rink. He let her out of the car, and they went inside. "Ever been here before?" Jason asked. She shook her head. Jason bought two pairs of skates and tied them for her before putting his skates on. He stood up and helped Lonnie up.  
  
She wavered and grabbed onto him. "Hey, I've got you," Jason reassured, "I've got you." She nodded and took a deep breath as he showed her how to pick up her feet, and they walked around in their skates. He showed her how to stop, and then he explained to her how to roll. They went over that for a little while before he took her to the rink.  
Jason took her around in a circle a few times, and she squeezed his hand. "Whoa!" She exclaimed as she nearly slipped.  
  
"I've got you," Jason reassured, "I'm not gonna let you go until you ask me to." She nodded, and they made another few circles around the rink before she loosened her grip and ultimately let go of his hand. Jason turned around and skated backward, holding his hands out for her to catch up with him, and she pushed a few times, making her way over to him.  
  
When she got over to him, she got so excited that she exclaimed, "Jason, look it!" He smiled at her and took her hand once more.  
  
"I saw you! Are you still scared of falling?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "You did a really great job of shifting your weight." She smiled up at him, and she whispered something, but Jason couldn't hear her over the music. "What'd you say?"  
  
"Nothing," Lonnie answered. He did a few more laps around the rink with her until she let go of his hand. Lonnie skated on her own for a little while, following close behind Jason. She fell a few times, but it didn't discourage her. It only made her laugh. Jason checked the time, and once he realized how late it was, he took Lonnie's hand and sat her on a bench. "Did I do something?"  
  
Jason shook his head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. It's getting late. We can come back another time, okay?" Jason suggested.  
  
She nodded. "Did you have fun today?" Lonnie asked. Jason untied her skates and nodded.  
  
"It was the best day ever," Jason smiled. He untied her skates and went back to get their shoes. As soon as it was time to go, Lonnie took his hand, and they walked back to the car.  
  
"Are we gonna learn more sounds today?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, and he opened her door.  
  
"Just a few, but we're gonna read a little too," Jason replied. He got in the car, and by the time he buckled his seatbelt, Lonnie was eating half of their other sandwich. "Lonnie?"  
  
"Want your part?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, reaching back to take his half, and they sat in the car and finished their sandwich. "Jason?"  
  
Jason turned around to look at her. "What?" Jason asked.  
  
"How come you did all this today?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason turned back around and smiled. "Every kid deserves at least one great day," Jason replied as he started driving towards home.  
  
When they got there, Jason gave Lonnie her pajamas and let her wash up while he picked out a book to read with her. When she got out of the bathroom, Jason took his pajamas and went to take his shower. When he came back, he heard Lonnie attempt to sound out the title by herself. Jason didn't make himself known to her at first. He wanted to see if she could remember Lonnie could remember what sounds the letters made together. It took her a while, but she got the two words out. Lonnie barely had enough time to breathe before he lifted her up off of the ground. She shrieked out of shock, and he spun her around. "I knew you could do it! You remembered!" he hollered. Jason put her back down, and she gave him the book.  
  
She didn't seem to be half as excited as Jason was, so he knelt down in front of her and gave her a hug. "I'm proud of you."  
  
"It took a long time," Lonnie replied to negate his sense of excitement, and he shook his head.  
  
"The first word was super long. It was nine whole letters, Lonnie, and you took your time and tried to remember what I taught you. That's super impressive for only three days of learning," Jason replied. He nudged her. "It's okay to be proud of yourself. I want you to be proud of yourself."  
  
He took her to the couch and sat next to her as he opened the book. He read slowly and stopped to point out sounds they hadn't gone over yet. It took him twice as long to finish the book, but he still had enough time to have Lonnie spell out some of the words she remembered at the end.  
  
Afterward, Jason read it to her once more, at a regular pace, using voices for the character dialogue. He could see Lonnie was dozing off, so he continued to read until she was fast asleep with her thumb in her mouth. Jason carried her to her bed and tucked her in. He left the room to cut up food for the next day, and he started watching television. He was halfway through a second movie when Lonnie got out of bed to come looking for him. "Jason?" Lonnie called. He got up and went back to their room, where she stood in the doorway.  
  
"I got you, buddy," Jason whispered as he picked her up.  
  
"Were you leaving?" Lonnie mumbled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"No, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you," Jason whispered, "You okay?"  
  
She wouldn't let go of him. "I had a bad dream," Lonnie replied. He swayed as he walked around with Lonnie to soothe her.  
  
"Wanna know what I used to do when I had nightmares by myself as a kid?" Jason asked. She nodded. "I used to name things that my favorite people liked, and when I ran out of things, I named things that I liked. Wanna try it? Let's start with what you like."  
  
"I like hoagies and big dogs and Mama," she listed each thing, continuing on for quite a while until she paused suddenly, and Jason put her back in her bed. She turned on her side and mouthed something, but he couldn't see it. He sat on his bed and watched as she drifted back off to sleep.  
  
Jason took a moment to do something he hadn't done since he was a little boy. He said a prayer. "I know I'm not good at being good. I understand a lot of people might see me as a horrible person, and I might be... But, God, let me do right by this kid. If I'm not the right person to take care of her, send someone who is.  
  
I know I can't do this forever, but let things be okay while I've got her... I haven't asked you for anything since I asked you to help my mom get better... Please let this kid be alright. She's just a baby," Jason whispered so low that the words barely escaped his lips. It was the first prayer that he'd made since he came back to life. Jason almost forgot how to pray, but something about having someone to take care of made him want to remember how to. He couldn't explain it, but every day he felt more and more like himself.  
  
After a few hours of sitting up and making sure Lonnie didn't have another nightmare, he got into his bed and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Sick Day

Lonnie woke Jason up the next morning by tapping his shoulder. "How come you have a CD player still?" Lonnie asked. Jason rolled over to face the wall. "Jason?"  
  
"Good morning, Lonnie," Jason cleared his throat and stretched out, "And I have a CD player because I have a bunch of old CD's I still like to hear. You can go through them and play whatever you want." Lonnie stood still, waiting for him. "What?"  
  
"You look like you don't feel good," Lonnie whispered. She reached to touch his forehead, and he took her hand.  
  
"Well, if I am sick, I don't want you getting it. Go play," Jason replied. Lonnie frowned. "Go play. I'm fine. I just don't want you to get sick." Lonnie nodded solemnly and made her way to the living room. It was near silent in the house for a little while, which worried Jason. He was about to get up when he heard Soundgarden playing on his CD player. He smiled and lay back down, closing his eyes to stave off his headache. He fell asleep, and while he slept, Lonnie went to the kitchen. She started chopping up vegetables for soup.  
  
By the time she finished cooking, he was up and out of bed, but he looked much worse than he did when she woke him at first. "Jason?" Lonnie asked. He smiled at her. She made him a bowl of soup and asked if Jason could reach the crackers. He nodded and took them down, and he sat at the kitchen island.  
  
"Thanks, Lonnie," Jason turned away from her and cleared his throat. She reached to feel his forehead, and he caught her hand, and she used her other hand to touch his forehead. "That was a dirty trick, Lonnie."  
  
"I would've brought you your soup. You're too sick to be out of bed," Lonnie chastised him. He chuckled and started to cough. "See, it's not funny. You can eat your soup, but then you have to go lay down."  
  
Jason saluted her, "Aye aye, captain." He blew on his soup to cool it down, and he ate a spoonful. "After I tidy up, that is." Lonnie crossed her arms. "What? I'm gonna get some rest, I promise." Lonnie shook her head.  
  
She sat with him while he ate, and when he was done, he washed out his bowl and washed the rest of the dishes. Afterward, he sat on the couch for a little while and turned on the tv. Lonnie turned off the CD player. As the show went on, Jason started to doze off, and Lonnie got up and grabbed a blanket to put over him. She changed the channel and watched a movie while he slept, snoring because he was congested.  
  
After a while, Jason started making a whimpering noise as if he was crying, and he mumbled something. Lonnie turned around and stared at him as he lay on the couch, curled up, his face all screwed up. His cries got louder and louder until Lonnie tapped his arm, and Jason sat up in a panic. He took a few deep breaths through his mouth as she reached for his hand. "It's okay," Lonnie reassured him. He sat there for a while, shivering until Lonnie left and brought him another blanket, making sure he was wrapped up before backing away. "I'm not going anywhere." Jason smiled at her.  
  
"I'm okay. How long was I out?" Jason asked. She shrugged.  
  
Lonnie took the other blanket and pulled it around over his head. "Do you want another blanket?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"You don't have to take care of me, Lonnie. Really, I'm fine. Where'd you learn to take care of people, anyway?" Jason asked.  
  
"My dad, when he was sick," Lonnie replied, "Jason, you should go back to bed." Jason nodded, but only because he could see the distress on her face. He took his blankets and made his way back to their room, and Lonnie sat on her bed.  
  
"I hate to say it, but I'm not tired," Jason chuckled. Lonnie sighed.  
  
"Okay. Tell a story then," Lonnie replied.  
  
Jason nodded, "Um... When I was a kid, I used to be a lot like you... Except, I'd say you were a lot smarter than me, and a lot tougher too... But um, this was before my mom got really sick. She woke me up one night, and she carried me down the stairs to show me that it was snowing-."  
  
He turned away to cough. "And the thing is, it was the middle of summer, literally right before my birthday. It was so beautiful, I thought I was dreaming, but when I woke up it was still snowing... And for the time it took for Gotham to thaw out again, it was the most fun my mom and I ever had." Jason withheld some parts of the story because he didn't want to sour the story with mentions of his father.  
  
"Why do you look sad then?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"My dad dislocated my shoulder the same day. He'd sworn that I'd taken money from him, and I didn't... I remember being so afraid to cry that I bit down on my own hand," Jason whispered. Lonnie frowned. "Know what? I never once wished death on him. I just wanted him to go away... That's all I ever wanted was for him to go away." Jason yawned.  
  
"What's your other dad like?" Lonnie asked. Jason smiled.  
  
"He was my best friend. We didn't always agree, but he tried to listen to me... He taught me everything he knew, and he really did care about me, loved me even," Jason took a deep breath, "After I came back to life, things were different, and my way of thinking about things changed. He doesn't agree with a lot of the things I do, but I think he still cares about me." He stretched out.  
  
Lonnie got up and fixed his blankets. "Do you still love your dad?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Mhm, to be honest, deep down, I still want him to tell me he cares. I mean, I know he does because he would've stopped me a long time ago if he'd given up on me... I just want him to use the words, just so that I can say them back," Jason whispered, "That's not his way, though." Jason closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Lonnie got up, made herself a sandwich, and practiced her reading in the other room. Jason slept as Lonnie went about her day, and she got up a few times to check on him. She even bathed and got into her pajamas in preparation for bed. By the time Jason started to stir, Lonnie was sitting in her bed trying to sound out the words in one of the books Jason read with her.  
  
He opened one eye and smiled. "Closet, Lonnie... But good job sounding it out," Jason whispered, still half-asleep. "Did you eat?"  
  
"Uh-huh, are you hungry?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"Want me to read to you before you go to bed?" Jason asked. Lonnie wanted to say yes, but she shook her head. "I feel a lot better. Here... Let me see." Jason gestured for her to hand him the book. She shook her head.  
  
"Go eat first," Lonnie commanded. Jason pulled off all the blankets, got out of bed, and made his way to the kitchen. He made himself a bowl of soup and put it in the microwave.  
  
"Lonnie, want some ice cream?" Jason asked. He opened the fridge, feeling bad because he'd slept through most of the day, leaving her to fend for herself.  
  
"Okay," Lonnie replied on her way out of their room. She took the ice cream out of the freezer. Jason smiled and took a bowl out of the cupboard.  
  
She sat at the island while he waited for his soup to finish heating up. "Lonnie, thanks for being so understanding. I'm sorry I didn't spend any time with you today," Jason apologized. Lonnie looked at him.  
  
"It's okay. I'm glad you're feeling better," Lonnie whispered, and Jason smiled. The microwave beeped, and he took his bowl of soup out and started eating. "Jason? When you died, how did it happen?" Jason ignored her question and made got up to make her a bowl of ice cream.  
  
"Here you go," Jason replied. Lonnie looked at him and shook her head. "What?"  
  
"Were you sick?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, I was murdered. I don't like to talk about it," Jason replied, "You can ask me about literally anything else, just not that." She nodded and went into the fridge to get strawberry syrup.  
  
"Okay. Jason, how come you're not married?" Lonnie asked. Jason choked.  
  
"I'm a little young, don't you think?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head. "I don't date enough, I guess. Why?"  
  
"You're a grownup, a lot of grownups get married," Lonnie answered, "Who would you date?" Jason shrugged.  
  
"You don't know him," Jason replied.  
  
Lonnie ate a spoonful of ice cream and replied with a cool-headed, "Then it doesn't matter if you tell me."  
  
"Green Lantern, the younger, pretty one, not the one who looks like a dad..."  
  
"He looks like a nerd," Lonnie replied. Jason laughed and fell into a fit of coughing.  
  
"Jesus Christ, Lonnie," Jason laughed, "He's a little bit of a nerd, but I don't know, I guess you'd have to see him without the big mask."  
  
"Wait, you know him?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Yup. I don't think he likes me much, though," Jason replied, "I can come off as a jerk when people first meet me." Lonnie nodded, and he laughed. "You aren't supposed to agree with me!"  
  
"You're not mean. You just seem mean sometimes," Lonnie explained. Jason smiled and went back to eating.  
  
Once they were done eating, Jason washed out their dishes, and Lonnie sat on her bed with a book for Jason. When he got to their room, he took the book and faced it toward her. "Wanna give the title a try?" Jason asked. She nodded and mouthed the sounds for a while until she could put it all together. "That's perfect. Those are the exact words," Jason smiled as he opened the book, and he started to read. She climbed under her blankets and watched as Jason read to her theatrically. Her eyelids got heavy as he continued to read, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the conclusion of the story.  
  
"I like the toad," Lonnie mumbled.  
  
"Well, I guess there's nothing else to say except... I will see you tomorrow," Jason whispered. She smiled and went to sleep.  
  
When he woke up the next morning, his stomach was a little upset, so he decided to go lay down on the couch. He heard Lonnie get up, and she brought him another book. "Not now, bubba," Jason mumbled.  
  
"Are you still sick?" Lonnie asked. Jason made an affirmative noise and closed his eyes, and Lonnie huffed.  
  
"Sorry, Lonnie, but I literally feel sick to my stomach," Jason mumbled.  
  
Lonnie felt his forehead, and he sat up and went to the bathroom to throw up. "Jason?" Lonnie asked. "Do you want some ice?" Jason shook his head. Lonnie sighed and entered the bathroom, looking through his drawers and medicine cabinet.  
  
"Hey, stay out of there," Jason warned her. She took something and went and sat on the couch. He followed her out, and she patted the cushion, waiting for him to sit down.  
  
"Put this on your feet. I'll bring your socks," Lonnie replied. Jason obeyed, even though he was amused by the idea that Lonnie thought it would work. She came back with his socks, but she passed him to go to the kitchen and grab a paper towel for his hands. "Here you go." She took the vapor rub and closed it before putting it back where she found it. Before she could come back to say something, Jason was fast asleep. She threw away his paper towel and grabbed his blankets from their room, placing them over Jason. She sat down on the floor by him, and she read the title of the book.  
  
When she opened the book, she sounded out the words, only stopping when Jason's snoring stopped. "I ha... hayv... No. That's not right," Lonnie mumbled. She kept trying to sound out the words until Jason's phone rang, and she answered it.  
  
"Jason?" the man asked.  
  
"He's sleeping. Can you help me?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Sure. Who is this?" He asked.  
  
"Lonnie, who are you?" Lonnie replied.  
  
"I'm Kyle Rayner. I know Jason," Kyle answered.  
  
"Okay... Jason says A-V-E makes the 'a' sound in gave, but hayv isn't a word... Is it?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Can you spell it for me?" Kyle asked.  
  
"H-A-V-E," Lonnie replied.  
  
"That spells have, sweetie," Kyle replied, "Can you wake Jason up? I need to talk to him."  
  
"No, I can't wake him up. He's not feeling good," Lonnie replied.  
  
Jason woke up, mid-snore, and looked over at Lonnie. "Lonnie, you can't answer my phone... Who are you talking to?" Jason asked.  
  
"Kyle," Lonnie answered innocently. Jason sat up all the way.  
  
"Jesus, Lonnie," Jason replied as he grabbed the phone, "I'm sorry, that's my new roommate."  
  
"Sounds like your roommate needs a babysitter," Kyle joked.  
  
"Did you call to criticize me?" Jason asked in a harsh tone. Lonnie tapped Jason's knee and shook her head, and he took a deep breath through his mouth. "Sorry, what did you need?"  
  
"I was gonna ask-. Do you need someone to watch your roommate while you get some rest?" Kyle asked.  
  
"I don't wanna ask you for any favors," Jason replied.  
  
"You're not asking. I'm offering. I'm great with kids," Kyle answered, "I didn't even know you had a kid."  
  
"I didn't know a kid had me if we're being honest. It's a new development, but yeah, if you want to, feel free to come over... Just to help her read, and play with her for a few hours... She can do everything else on her own," Jason replied, "If you decide to come, I'll owe you one."  
  
"I'm on my way then, 'cause I kind of need you to do me a big favor," Kyle answered.  
  
"Consider it done," Jason replied. Kyle hung up, and Jason lay back on the couch. "I don't want him to see me like this. Lonnie, Jesus. Who told you to answer my phone?"  
  
"I didn't want you to wake up. Who is that guy, anyway?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Kyle is the Green Lantern I was talking about, Lonnie," Jason replied. Lonnie's eyes widened.  
  
"Oops," Lonnie mumbled, "Oh! I can answer the door." Jason nodded.  
  
"Does that mean I can go back to bed?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "I promise when I feel well again, we'll do something fun together." He got up and went to their room, taking his blankets with him. "I almost forgot... Eat breakfast, Lonnie."  
  
She nodded and waved as he closed the door to their bedroom, leaving her by herself in the living room. She put her book to the side and made herself a sandwich in the kitchen, and she wrapped it in a paper towel and placed it on a plate on her way back to the living room. Lonnie watched tv by herself as she ate, and halfway through her sandwich, she heard the doorbell and got up. "It's Kyle!" he yelled through the door. Lonnie got up and let him in.  
  
"Shh, Jason's sleeping," Lonnie whispered, and he closed the door behind her as she went back to the table to finish her sandwich. "He told me to eat breakfast."  
  
"You don't want pancakes?" Kyle asked in a sweet voice. Lonnie looked at him.  
  
"No. I didn't want pancakes. I wanted a sandwich. Do you want pancakes?" Lonnie asked. Kyle shook his head. "Do you like watching _Monk_?"  
  
"Huh?" Kyle asked.  
  
"I can't watch _Law & Order _, but I can watch Monk with Jason," Lonnie replied. Kyle shrugged.  
  
"I um... I don't know, I've never watched it," Kyle replied, "How old are you?"  
  
"I'm seven. Are you Jason's age?" Lonnie asked. Kyle nodded. "Jason doesn't think you like him, but he says it's because he can be mean sometimes... I don't think he's mean."  
"How long have you known him?" Kyle asked.  
  
"A few days," Lonnie answered. Kyle picked up Lonnie's book and looked around.  
  
"I definitely didn't expect him to be good with kids," Kyle whispered, "What kind of stuff do you guys do together?"  
  
Lonnie shrugged. "We go rollerskating, and we eat together... Um... We play blocks and-. Can I tell you a secret?" Lonnie asked. Kyle nodded, and she made him lean over so she could whisper to him. "I wish Jason was my dad, but I don't think he wants to be a dad." Kyle's jaw dropped.  
  
"Jason? Big fella, green eyes, the guy who wakes up mean?" Kyle asked. Lonnie nodded.  
  
"He's not mean. He's just shy," Lonnie defended. She finished her sandwich and turned the tv off. Jason hustled through and threw up in the bathroom.  
  
Kyle got up and knocked on the bathroom door. "You okay?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Peachy," Jason answered before vomiting once more. Kyle knocked again, and Jason opened the door. "Can I pay you to stay the night?"  
  
"Usually, I let a guy buy me dinner first," Kyle joked, and Jason's ears grew hot. Jason rubbed his neck. "You don't look too hot. I mean, you look hot, just not physically... I mean, you are hot physically... Because you're sick. I can stay overnight for free." Kyle reached to feel Jason's forehead, and Jason stepped back.  
  
"Don't do that..." Jason rested a hand on the edge of the sink counter to support his weight.  
  
"Were you this sick yesterday?" Kyle asked. Jason shook his head. Kyle frowned and looked through the drawers until he found a forehead thermometer, and Kyle ran it across Jason's forehead. "You should've called someone to take care of you."  
  
"I don't like to ask for favors," Jason replied, taking a deep breath.  
  
"Well, do me a favor and let me help you back to your room before you pass out in the bathroom," Kyle shook his head and let Jason lean on him as he helped him back to bed.  
"Go check on Lonnie. She's probably wondering what's wrong... You're gonna tell her I'm fine, that I'm doing better," Jason mumbled.  
  
Kyle nodded and went back to the living room, where Lonnie paced back and forth. Kyle reached for her hand. "Lonnie, he said he's feeling much better-."  
  
"Liar! What if I made him sicker?" Lonnie mumbled as tears streamed down her cheeks. Kyle reached to pick her up, and she backed away. "No! I don't want you to pick me up! I want Jason!" Jason walked into the living room and whistled for her attention.  
  
"Hey! Cut it out," Jason chastised her as he walked over to pick her up. "I'm okay. I just need a little more sleep, and I'll be good as new." He bounced as he held her. "You gonna try not to give pretty boy here a hard time?" Lonnie nodded.  
  
"Jason?" Lonnie whispered.  
  
"Hm?" Jason answered.  
  
"Can we roller skate again when you feel better?" Lonnie asked. He nodded.  
  
"Kyle's gonna stay the night, so you're gonna have to tell him where stuff is. Okay?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "If you're good, I'll get you your own pair of skates..." She sniffed, and he handed her off to Kyle and made his way back to bed. Kyle rubbed her back.  
  
"See? He told you himself," Kyle reassured.  
  
"I still want him," she mumbled.  
  
"I know," Kyle whispered, "But let's let him get some rest." Kyle put her down on the couch, and she sat there, wiping her tears away. "All grownups get sick sometimes, Lonnie." She nodded.


	6. Maybe

Jason woke up in a panic to an empty bedroom, and in his boxers. "Kyle!" Jason called out. Kyle opened the bedroom door and came in. Kyle's face softened when he saw the look of panic on Jason's face.  
  
"Hey, buddy," Kyle whispered. Jason's chest heaved up and down as he looked around the pitch-black room. "Hey, what's wrong?" Kyle walked closer to Jason, and he sat on the edge of Jason's bed. Jason leaned in, and Kyle froze up, expecting a kiss, but Jason embraced him. "I thought I was alone," Jason whispered. Kyle relaxed his shoulders and held Jason. Kyle could feel the racing of Jason's pulse as he sat there stuck in the embrace.  
  
"We're all here. Lonnie's still asleep... You were so sick, I set her up on the couch. I tried to break your fever, but you fought me on taking your clothes," Kyle explained. Jason let go of him and hugged his knees.  
  
"Was Lonnie okay?" Jason asked. Kyle nodded.  
  
"Took me a minute to get her to sleep. She wanted you," Kyle whispered. Jason moved over to make space.  
  
"Can you stay here for a little while?" Jason asked. Kyle nodded and got up to sit on Lonnie's bed, and Jason grabbed his hand. "I just wanna feel someone lay close to me." Kyle looked at Jason, and his cheeks were rosy, and his eyes were glossy. Kyle nodded, and Jason let go of Kyle's hand and lay facing the wall. Kyle swallowed hard and lay down next to him, and he placed his arm over Jason, holding him. Kyle could feel Jason's heart slow back to normal, and Jason whispered a weak, "Thank you," as he held onto Kyle's fingers. Jason closed his eyes. Sleep flooded in as he let go of Kyle's fingers.  
  
By the time Jason fell asleep, Kyle was so tired, he drifted off to sleep holding him.  
  
Jason slept in Kyle's arms for several hours until the sun came up, and he woke up face-to-face with Kyle. Their limbs were intertwined as Jason's ears grew warm. He tried to untangle his limbs from Kyle's, waking Kyle from his slumber. Jason pulled away and turned his head out of embarrassment. "Did your fever finally break?" Kyle asked, still half-asleep.  
  
Jason turned to Kyle and let Kyle feel his forehead. Jason's heart raced, and he found himself at a loss for words. Before he could stop himself, he leaned in to kiss Kyle, and Kyle embraced him. "I would've kissed you, but I distinctly remember you puked on yourself last night," Kyle whispered. Jason hugged him back. "You're not delirious, are you?"  
  
"Nuh-uh... But I'm drawing a blank on just about everything after promising Lonnie skates," Jason mumbled. Kyle smiled.  
  
"You woke me up more than Lonnie did... At ten o'clock, you woke me up, asking me why I was here. At midnight you woke me up and immediately blew chunks all over yourself like a little kid. I would've been freaked out if I didn't feel so bad for you. At one, you called me in here, and you seemed pretty freaked out," Kyle described their night, pausing to see if Jason recalled any of it. "I think you might've said something to me at like three, but I just pat you on the back until you went back to sleep."  
  
"Sounds like you were babysitting me," Jason whispered. Kyle smiled and kissed Jason on his forehead.  
  
"Your fever broke, so you should probably go shower," Kyle replied. Jason nodded as Kyle stood up and let him get out of bed.  
  
Jason looked through his drawers until he found his robe and put it on. He grabbed his clothes and took them to the bathroom, showering and cleaning up before going to wake Lonnie up. "Jason?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"My fever broke, and I don't feel like shit anymore, so there's that. I'm gonna eat soup for breakfast. Do you and Kyle want eggs and sausage?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded, and she smiled at him. "What?"  
  
She got off the couch and stood on her tiptoes until Jason picked her up. "You really feel better? Because you were really sick last night," Lonnie replied.  
  
Jason nodded. "Yeah, I felt really crumby last night, but I got a few good hours of sleep, my fever's gone, and it sounds like I owe this kid her very own rollerskates. You might not know her," Jason joked. Lonnie threw her arms around his neck. "Hey, go brush your teeth and get dressed, okay?" Lonnie nodded, and he put her down.  
  
After Lonnie got her clothes and went to the bathroom to get ready, Jason went to the living room to start breakfast, and Kyle sat at the kitchen island. "I don't understand how someone can find something they're so good at and want to give it up," Kyle whispered. Jason turned to Kyle.  
  
"I'm not good for her long-term... How do you like your eggs?" Jason asked.  
  
"Scrambled... But you've only had her a few days, and she adores you-."  
  
"I spoil her because it makes up for the fact that I have no idea which version of me she's gonna get as the day goes on. Anybody can love that kid. She's amazing. It doesn't have to be me," Jason answered. Kyle frowned.  
  
"But she doesn't want just anyone. She wants you, Jason," Kyle explained.  
  
Jason shook his head and took a deep, shaky breath. "You don't get it. She's gotten me on some of my best days so far, but what happens when I wake up on my bad days? I won't subject her to that," Jason replied, "If I knew I had everything under control emotionally, I wouldn't think twice about getting attached... But I know I'm not in a good enough place to raise her."  
  
"How long do you plan on keeping her?" Kyle asked. Jason shrugged.  
  
"I dunno... I just want to give her some skills to take with her while I'm figuring things out," Jason replied. Kyle didn't say anything further. "What?"  
  
"When I met you, I thought you were an arrogant jackass. Turns out you're not arrogant at all. You have absolutely no faith in yourself. I think Dick would say the same thing I want to, but you're too stubborn to see it," Kyle replied.  
  
Jason sighed, and Lonnie came out of the bathroom dressed to go outside. "Jason," Lonnie whispered as she gestured for him to come down to her level, and she whispered in his ear, "I think you should ask him to come back on Friday."  
  
"Oh, Bubba, I don't think that's a good idea," Jason whispered back to her. She sighed.  
  
"How come?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Because we disagree on something important, and I don't feel like talking about it right now," Jason replied. Lonnie nodded and sat up in a chair at the kitchen island. Kyle left to check the laundry and use the bathroom.  
  
"Is he mad at you?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason shrugged. "I'm not sure. Lonnie, listen, Kyle is a very nice guy... But we're nothing alike. He grew up different. He's got a unique experience and a unique way of thinking, that just happens to be distinct from what I think and how I feel," Jason explained. Lonnie nodded.  
  
Kyle finished getting ready just as Jason finished cooking breakfast, and Jason warmed up a small bowl of soup for himself. They all ate quietly, and Jason followed Kyle out to finish their conversation. "I shouldn't have said what I did. It was-."  
  
"I want to keep her. I lied. I'm already attached to the kid. If I wasn't, she wouldn't even be here. I wish I could let her go with somebody better than me, but you're right... It's that," Jason paused and ran a hand through his hair, "It's her little face. I can't think about sending her away when I see how attached I am to her... But that doesn't mean I'm ready to be a parent or that I'm always gonna be good at taking care of her-."  
  
"No parent is one-hundred percent. I mean, my mom had her days, and I had mine... But looking back on it, I wish I could have her back. I don't resent her for any of the bad days. I would take all those days and more, just to have a few more good days with her," Kyle explained. "I just want you to know that she adores you, and I think the worst thing you can do is take that comfort from her." Jason embraced him. They didn't exchange any more words as Kyle left. Lonnie joined Jason outside, and Jason picked her up and swung her around. "What?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Let's go get you some skates," Jason replied as he put her back down and she got in the car. Jason kept his promise and took her straight to the store to pick out a pair of rollerskates. Jason watched her as she roamed the store, and he looked around at the protective gear.  
  
Lonnie took his hand and pointed to a pair of black and white checkered skates. Jason nodded. "Are you tired?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something..." He measured her foot and waited for someone to come over and help them.  
  
Lonnie sat next to him, and a man came and sat on the other side close by her. Lonnie looked at Jason, and he let her sit on his knee as he held her. "Boundaries?" Lonnie asked, and Jason chuckled.  
  
"Yup," Jason whispered, resting his chin on top of Lonnie's head. A woman came over and asked if anyone needed help, and the man cut Jason off. Jason shrugged it off, but Lonnie opened her mouth to speak. "Pick your battles, Lonnie. He can go first," Jason replied, "I had a few questions anyway." Lonnie turned to look at Jason, and when she saw how relaxed she was, she accepted things as they were.  
  
After the woman helped the man, she came back and assisted Jason and Lonnie. Jason bought Lonnie's skates and protective gear before taking her back home, where he let her skate around for a while. He went inside to make lunch, leaving a window open so that he could watch her. As soon as Jason finished making lunch and put everything back in the fridge, Jason heard a scratching noise. He went outside and saw Lonnie sitting on the ground, squeezing her palm. "Hey, what happened?" Jason asked. She shook her head.  
  
"It's okay," Lonnie mumbled. Jason reached to take her hand, and she shook her head. "It's fine."  
  
"You don't have to come in if you don't want to. I just wanna see if you hurt yourself," Jason reassured, "Let me see your hand." She obeyed, and he checked for any signs of a break or sprain before he even looked at her scraped palm. "Sit right here, okay? I'll be right back." Jason went inside and grabbed the first aid kit and wet a face towel with an antiseptic wash before coming back outside to clean her palm. "I've had the stupidest injuries ever. At least your scrape makes sense. It just means you're learning."  
  
"You really aren't mad," Lonnie whispered. Jason shook his head.  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong. I can't get mad at you for falling. I fall a whole bunch. I've fallen through things, I've fallen into things, I've fallen out of things... And I'm trained. It's honestly embarrassing," Jason chuckled. Lonnie relaxed her shoulders as he bandaged her hand. "Listen, I'm never gonna get mad at you for getting hurt as long as you're not purposefully putting yourself in harm's way. Now, I'm gonna go back inside and finish cleaning up." Jason left Lonnie outside and went back in to wash his hands and start preparing ahead for dinner.  
  
After nearly an hour of Lonnie playing outside, Jason called her back in to get a glass of water and eat lunch. They had salad together, and Lonnie took hers and ate with her fingers. She separated everything by item and poured her salad dressing on the side. Jason watched as she ate, and he smiled. "What's so funny?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'm not laughing at you. I just had a question. Best for last, or do you eat the worst parts last?" Jason asked.  
  
"I just like to know what it all tastes like. What are the pink and white things?" Lonnie asked as she dipped them in her salad dressing.  
  
"Radishes. What's your opinion on them?" Jason asked. Lonnie chewed her first radish and made a face before eating a second one.  
  
"I like them," Lonnie answered before she continued eating. "What do you eat first?"  
  
"I eat everything at once, but my mom used to eat a little bit like you. She'd get the bags of salad and organize them, and when I asked her why she'd do that, she told me she always liked to save the best parts for last," Jason smiled.  
  
Lonnie looked up at him. "Do you look like her too?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason shook his head. "Unfortunately, I take after my father. The one you met," Jason answered honestly.  
  
"You look better than him," Lonnie replied. Jason smiled and went to the fridge to get Lonnie something to drink, and she was gone.  
  
"Lonnie?" Jason asked. He sat down and ate, and she came back a few minutes later. "Where'd you go?"  
  
Lonnie leaned forward and whispered, "I was in the potty." Jason nodded.  
  
"Oh, okay. You just kind of disappeared... How do you do that?" Jason asked.  
  
"Same way you do this," Lonnie replied as she reached for his fork, and he grabbed her hand. "Fast... After I can read all by myself, what else are you gonna teach me?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"That's a good question. I guess the easiest answer is, everything I know and a couple of things I don't," Jason answered. Lonnie finished her salad, and Jason opened her chocolate milk.  
  
"Name one thing," Lonnie replied.  
  
Jason took a sip of her milk. "Um... I'll teach you something right now. You know how you fell when you were outside, you hurt your hand? The safest way to do that is when you feel like you're losing your balance is to bend your knees and fall on your butt... You're a little smaller and a little more resilient than most kids, so a fall isn't gonna hurt too much worse than that. When you get bigger, though, that's when falling right is gonna count," Jason explained. Lonnie nodded.  
  
"Okay, Coach," Lonnie replied, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. Jason chuckled.  
  
"Don't do that," Jason laughed. Lonnie smiled at him. After lunch, Jason changed the bandage on Lonnie's hand, and he took her outside to check the mail.  
  
"You know you're not supposed to check the mail every day as a grownup, right?" Lonnie asked. Jason picked her up, carrying her under his arm like a suitcase. Lonnie laughed.  
  
"I don't get a lot of mail," Jason replied, "I'm only checking the mail because I remembered I got you something." He put Lonnie down and opened the mailbox before giving her the key to the larger mailbox.  
  
Her smile faded, and she shook her head. "I don't wanna take anything else," Lonnie replied. Jason frowned.  
  
"Lonnie, I want you to take it-."  
  
"But I shouldn't take it," Lonnie replied. She reached to put her thumb in her mouth, and she held her hands by her chin, stopping herself. "I can't take anymore presents."  
  
Jason knelt down to her level. "Can you tell me why?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head. "If I try and guess, will you tell me when I get the right answer?" Lonnie nodded. "Do you feel like you don't deserve it?" Jason asked. Lonnie didn't answer. "Or... Do you think I'm gonna ask for something in return?" Lonnie nodded, and tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
"I don't want any more toys," Lonnie replied in tears.  
  
Jason took a deep breath. "Lonnie, I'm not gonna ask you for anything, and I would never hurt you. Listen, I could buy you a billion toys, and I'm never once gonna hurt you," Jason reassured. "I know that there are a lot of bad people out there, but I promise you I'm not one of them." Lonnie nodded, and Jason nodded back. She hugged him. He wiped her face with the bottom of his t-shirt.  
  
Jason opened the big mailbox and carried the box underneath his arm as they walked back. When they got home, Jason let her open the box, and she gasped. "See? Now you can make real cities," Jason replied.  
  
"Thank you," Lonnie replied, "Can I play with it now?" Jason nodded.  
  
"Until dinner," Jason replied, "We okay?"  
  
"Uh-huh," Lonnie smiled.


	7. Fairy Tales

As the days progressed to weeks, Lonnie's reading improved so much so that Jason had her read him a book every night before bed. Except, one night, in particular, Jason had business he was supposed to attend to late that evening. He called Kyle to babysit, much to Lonnie's dismay. She sobbed, wailing as she held onto Jason's hand. "Lonnie, I'll be back before breakfast. I promise," Jason whispered as he picked her up and rubbed her back.  
  
She gasped and choked in between sobs. "Why can't I come with you?" Lonnie asked. Jason rubbed her back to calm her and mouthed an apology to Kyle.  
  
"Bubba, I gotta go. I made a promise to somebody, and you can't sleep in a car while I'm out there," Jason whispered. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Lonnie, please. I made a promise, and I gotta go soon so she knows she can count on me."  
  
"But I need you!" Lonnie cried. Jason froze.  
  
"And I'm gonna be here... I just need you to let me do this one thing, and I'll be here to make breakfast," Jason answered, "Lonnie, could you trust me if I went around breaking promises?" Lonnie sniffed, and Jason sat down.  
  
"Promise you'll be back for breakfast?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, and she pulled away, still crying, to look in his eyes.  
  
"I promise you. It's you and me for breakfast," Jason smiled, tapping her nose. "And please be good to Kyle. I'm still trying to get him to like me." Lonnie nodded, and he put her down.  
  
As soon as he left, Lonnie lay on the couch in a state of despair. "He'll be back," Kyle reassured. Lonnie put her thumb in her mouth. "Did he tell you that I'm a Green Lantern?" Kyle asked. Lonnie nodded. "Wanna see something cool?" Lonnie shook her head. "What have you and Jason been up to since the last time I was here?" Lonnie pointed to the fridge with her other hand, her thumb still in her mouth. Kyle got up and looked at her drawing. "I like the colors you used for the house." Kyle came back to the couch where Lonnie sat, and he asked, "Can I draw a picture of you?" Kyle asked. Lonnie nodded. "Can you point me towards the art supplies?" Lonnie got up and opened a case of pencils and put them on the table, and she opened a drawer to give him a stack of printer paper.  
  
Kyle sat on the floor across from her and made borders on the page. Lonnie stared at him as he worked, and he looked up at her. "You can watch tv if you want. You don't have to sit still or anything," Kyle whispered. Lonnie sat for a while watching tv, before getting up and attempting to peek over Kyle's shoulder. "Nice try. Lonnie, mind picking out a book?" Kyle asked. She nodded and left the room to grab her book.  
  
As Lonnie sat back down, she rested her elbows on the table, cradling her chin in her palms, and she asked, "Do you look like your mom or your dad?"  
  
"I look just like my mom... Know what, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but if someone didn't know better, they'd say you looked a little bit like Jason."  
  
"Everybody thinks he's my dad," Lonnie smiled.  
  
Kyle chuckled, looking up at her. "Yeah, you two have the same smile, true and honest." Lonnie looked down, smiling bashfully.  
  
She started reading, and Kyle would stop every few minutes, helping her pronounce a word. "Believe it or not, eating those pigs was still a crime even if they were dead already," Kyle added at the end of the story, and she laughed.  
  
"Can you read the next one to me?" Lonnie asked. Kyle nodded. "Okay!" she exclaimed as she jumped up and went to the room for another book. Kyle put his drawing to the side, taking the book as soon as Lonnie brought it to him.  
  
He started reading to her, and she lay on the couch. Lonnie laughed at the voices Kyle read in, and Kyle would pause and continue on, noticing that Lonnie grew more tired with every turn of the page. By the time he was finished reading, Lonnie was fast asleep on the couch sucking her thumb. Kyle tried to pick her up, and she stirred. So, he ultimately left her alone. Kyle draped a blanket over her and went back to drawing. Once he was done, he went back and added color, leaving the finished product on the table. Kyle sat on the bean bag chair in the corner of the room and dozed off while watching tv.  
  
He awakened to the sound of footsteps in the house, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Jason standing with his forehead pressed against the bathroom door. "Jason?" Kyle whispered. Jason opened the bathroom door and went to take his shower, locking the door behind him. Kyle sat back down and checked the time. It was nearly four in the morning, and Kyle waited a while until Jason was finished taking his shower to pull him aside. "Are you okay?" Kyle asked. Jason dodged eye contact with Kyle. He didn't want Kyle to see the look in his eyes.  
  
"How'd Lonnie sleep?" Jason asked.  
  
"She went to sleep before nine. I couldn't move her without waking her up, so I let her sleep in the living room," Kyle answered. Jason nodded and decided to look in Kyle's eyes.  
  
Jason knew that Kyle couldn't see what he wanted him to see, but he looked into his eyes anyway. All he needed was an anchor to pull him back into his body. He needed to feel something. "Are you drunk?" Kyle asked. Jason shook his head and leaned in to rest his forehead on Kyle's shoulder, and he pulled away. "Jason? Are you okay?"  
  
Jason shook his head. "I shouldn't have-."  
  
"It's okay... But what's going on?" Kyle asked.  
  
Jason stood there for a while, struggling to find the words to convey what he was feeling. "I just need to feel something..." Jason's voice broke. Kyle took him into the room and shut the door behind him.  
  
"Did something go wrong?" Kyle asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"I killed her grandpa... I didn't plan on-. She's just a kid. She's not gonna understand," Jason's tears streamed down his cheeks as his hands shook. Kyle took a deep breath.   
  
"Jason, why?" Kyle asked. Jason sat on his bed and placed his face in his hands.  
  
"When I saw him, all I could think about is how he hurt her... I didn't consider how it would make her feel. What if she doesn't forgive me?" Jason asked. Kyle chewed his nails as he tried to find something reassuring to say. "I messed up..."  
  
"Well... Yeah, but you can fix it by just telling her," Kyle whispered, "I think that's your only option." Jason rocked back and forth, clasping his fingers together on the back of his head.  
  
"I messed up... I messed up, and I wish I could take it back. I just lost control-." Kyle crouched in front of him and crossed his arms, resting them on Jason's lap. "It's not even that I feel bad for what I did... I feel bad because I know how I would take things if I was her."  
  
"Look, you screwed up... But that doesn't mean she's gonna hate you-."  
  
"But she's never gonna be able to-. I don't know... I was just starting to feel like maybe she could be my kid-." Lonnie knocked on the door.  
  
"Is Jason home?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Talk to her," Kyle whispered, "I'll be right outside. Just talk to her." Jason opened his mouth to protest, and Kyle let Lonnie in. He closed the bedroom door on his way out, and Lonnie went to hug Jason.  
  
Jason stuck a hand out to stop her. "Lonnie, I did something terrible, and I need to tell you what I did before breakfast," Jason mumbled. Lonnie sat down next to him.  
  
"What was it?" Lonnie asked. Jason hugged his knees and turned away from her.  
  
"I'm gonna come out and just say it. I killed your grandpa... I didn't plan on doing it, but when I saw him, I just couldn't stop myself," Jason explained in a clear voice. Lonnie tapped him on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm not mad at you... Are you scared that I'm gonna be mad?" Lonnie asked as she crawled behind him and sat at his other side. When she met eyes with him, she could see that he was crying. "Don't cry. It's okay." Lonnie took her sleeves and wiped his face. "I'm not mad. See?" The blank expression on his face, as the tears continued to roll down his cheeks, worried her.  
  
"It was still wrong... Lonnie, he's not coming back. I killed him," Jason reemphasized. Lonnie nodded. She pushed at his knee so that she could hug him, and when he finally let go, she embraced him.  
  
"Are you still sad because you aren't sure he was bad?"  
  
"No, Lonnie, I'm sad because I thought you'd be upset with me, and I'm upset that I did that before thinking about how you might feel," Jason whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and held onto her for a while. "Lonnie, if you ever decide you're upset with me for this, we can revisit it." She let go.  
  
"I would've been a little mad if you missed breakfast," Lonnie joked, and Jason chuckled. "Kyle drew me. Wanna see?" Jason nodded. She took Jason's hand and led him to the living room table, and pointed to the little comic Kyle drew of her. Kyle lay on the couch and looked over at Jason, and Jason nodded.  
  
Jason picked up the little comic of Lonnie, and he chuckled. "Did you really make this face when you were reading last night?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Man! I really missed out," Jason smiled faintly. "Kyle really got you down. He even drew that face you make when you're sleepy." Kyle smiled.  
  
"Oh, I thought she just didn't like me," Kyle laughed. Lonnie giggled. Jason smiled and slipped away to make breakfast, still feeling a little detached from himself. He tried to bury his overwhelming sense of guilt in his sense of duty to her. Jason continued to breathe and tried to think of something that would pull him back to himself. He was so distracted that he almost didn't notice that he was making alphabet soup.  
  
It wasn't until he felt the steam hit his face that he found himself overwhelmed once more, and his breath caught. Kyle touched his shoulder. "Hey, look at me. It's okay..." Jason nodded.  
  
"Yeah, no. I'm fine... I was just out of it for a second," Jason replied as he continued cooking. "She took it well, I think..."  
  
Kyle nodded. "Some kids just take things differently, I guess," Kyle replied.  
  
"I still feel so ashamed. I think maybe I just don't understand Lonnie's reaction," Jason replied, "I just want to understand how she can just understand-."  
  
"Black-and-white thinking," Kyle replied, "She probably thought he was a bad person and that it wouldn't be bad if he died." Jason nodded.  
  
Lonnie walked into the kitchen, dressed to go outside. "Where are you going today?" Jason asked.  
  
"Can I go skate after breakfast?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'll let you go outside now if you can spell Kyle's name without any hints," Jason replied.  
  
She jumped up and down before stopping abruptly. "Is a look a hint?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head. "Okay! Is it K-Y-L-E?" Jason nodded. Lonnie ran to get her skates, and Kyle looked at Jason.  
  
"We read that little crocodile book the other night. That's just her genius mind at work," Jason smiled with pride.  
  
Kyle smiled. "Has it been a month yet?" Kyle asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"And a half, give or take," Jason paused as he waited for the door to open and shut before he continued, "I finally figured out her middle name. If you want, you can come over Friday. I ordered a cake, and I'm making meatball subs for dinner..."  
  
"I'll be there," Kyle answered. Jason pulled the blinds up and watched her from the kitchen window. "What time?"  
  
"Four," Jason replied. He watched as Lonnie fell just as he told her to, and he opened the window to yell, "Good fall, but tuck your fingers in next time!" Lonnie turned around and gave him a thumb's up.  
  
Kyle helped out in the kitchen until the soup was done, and Jason called Lonnie inside. "Mm," Kyle almost hummed the sound as he ate, eliciting a laugh from both Jason and Lonnie. "What?"  
  
"You're not playing with your soup," Lonnie answered. Jason nodded as he pushed the letters around in his bowl.  
  
Kyle smiled. "Did you ask him on a date yet?" Lonnie asked. Jason cleared his throat.  
  
"No... I didn't. It's not a good time," Jason replied. Kyle nodded.  
  
"How come?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I would like to have a lot more answers to my own personal problems. I mean, how bad would it suck to never be able to help Kyle when he needs advice or something," Jason explained. Lonnie nodded.  
  
"Would you say yes if he asked you?" Lonnie asked Kyle. Jason nodded.  
  
"It's a definite possibility, but he's right. Now really isn't a good time," Kyle answered honestly. Lonnie smiled.  
  
Once they finished breakfast, Jason let Lonnie go back outside and skate for a while as he talked to Kyle. "I talked to my father once a few weeks ago," Jason confessed.  
  
"Batman?" Kyle asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"Dead... It was a little bit before I got sick, and the scariest part was that Lonnie-. She summoned him on accident. There was no explanation for how or why he was there. He just was... And it's something that must happen to her a lot because she calls them shadow people," Jason explained, "I don't know if I want to introduce anyone new into her life so soon... I'm eventually gonna have to find someone who can help her control whatever powers she has."  
  
Kyle looked out at Lonnie skating in circles around the front yard. "She can summon-." Jason nodded. "Is that part of why you were so freaked out about-."  
  
"I didn't think about it until just now... But yeah, the idea of that freaks me out a little bit," Jason replied, "And I know this is dumb, but I don't really know what I'm gonna do with her after I get her into chapter books. It's like she learns everything so fast."  
  
"You could always teach her how to fight," Kyle joked. Jason smiled.  
  
"Oh, trust me, she's a bruiser all on her own," Jason replied. Kyle made himself another bowl of alphabet soup. "Kyle, can I ask you something personal?" Kyle nodded. "When you called me last time, was it to ask me out?" Kyle chuckled and shook his head.  
  
"No, I was gonna ask you to walk me through putting windshield wiper fluid in a car," Kyle replied. Jason blinked hard.  
  
"You don't know how to put windshield wiper fluid in a car? Did you lose the manual?" Jason asked.  
  
Kyle laughed. "Listen, I fly. I don't even like driving," Kyle replied. Jason shook his head.  
  
"Well, when I show Lonnie how to work on cars, I'll be sure to call you," Jason smiled, "You busy tonight?" Kyle shook his head. "This isn't a date. I just wanted to know if you wanted to watch _Thumbelina_ tonight. Lonnie was gracious enough to let me pick the movie tonight because if I watch another cartoon about depressed rats, I'm gonna be sick." Kyle started laughing. "I'm serious, _Secret of NIMH_ , depressed rat mom. _American Tail_ , depressed rat family. Then there's the depressed rat chef and the depressed adopted rat with the bird girlfriend. I'm sick of it. It's all she wants to watch." Kyle smiled.  
  
"Come on, you didn't have like some weird sub-genre of kid's movies that you liked growing up?" Kyle asked. Jason shrugged.  
  
"I liked _Pinocchio_ , and I will not elaborate on the number of times I've seen it or why it was my favorite," Jason replied, "Why? What was yours?"  
  
"Any movie with a dinosaur in it... Also, you've never seen _Thumbelina_ , have you?" Kyle asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"Nope, but at least it doesn't have rats in it," Jason replied.  
  
"I'm definitely gonna stay for this one," Kyle chuckled. Lonnie came to the front door and opened it.  
  
"What's wrong, Bubba?" Jason asked. Lonnie took a deep breath.  
  
"Thirsty," she replied. Jason went into the fridge and grabbed her water bottle. She took a few sips, taking big breaths in between, and she whispered, "Thank you," before handing Jason the bottle back.  
  
"You're welcome," Jason breathed humorously, shaking his head at her. She laughed and closed the door behind her as she went back to skating.  
  
"You weren't shitting me about her being able to wake the dead, were you?" Kyle asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"Nope, it's only happened twice since she's been with me," Jason answered. Kyle drank the broth from the bowl before wiping his mouth with a napkin.  
  
"Weird," Kyle replied.


	8. Cake Reveal

Once Friday came, Jason woke up to find that Lonnie lay across his chest, fast asleep. He didn't move until she stirred. "Good morning, Stinky," Jason whispered. Lonnie lifted her head and dropped her face back down on his chest.  
  
"I'm tired," Lonnie whined.  
  
"Why aren't you in your bed?" Jason asked, holding back a chuckle.  
  
Lonnie stretched out and sat up. "I had a bad dream," Lonnie mumbled. He sat up and stretched out.  
  
Lonnie moved close by him, and he rested a hand on top of her head. "Okay," Jason cracked his knuckles, "Fear killer time. Let me have it."  
  
"There were bright lights and doctors, and I couldn't move," Lonnie described. Jason nodded, taking it all in.  
  
"Well, for one, you're here with me. As long as you're here with me, I won't let anyone hurt you," Jason replied, "Never ever." Lonnie wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"Never ever?" Lonnie asked. Jason carried her under his arm as he got up.  
  
"Never ever, Lonnie," Jason answered before putting her back down.  
  
Jason took Lonnie to go pick up the cake, telling her that they were donuts for dessert. As soon as they got ready to leave the bakery, it started to rain. Lonnie stood in the rain for a little bit, and Jason smiled. "It's too cold to play outside today," Jason whispered before taking her hand and walking her to the car. She struggled against him at first, and he put the cake in the car before he came back to get her. "Lonnie, please. It's cold outside," Jason whispered as he reached to pick her up.  
  
"No," she cried, stomping as he stepped back. "I don't wanna go!" Lonnie shrieked and sobbed as she made a scene in front of the bakery.  
  
"What do you want? Tell me what you want," Jason commanded, slightly irritated at her sudden outburst.  
  
Lonnie pointed at the hospital across the street. "Mama!" she cried. Jason softened and picked her up.  
  
"You wanna go see your mom?" Jason asked. She nodded. "Okay, we can go see her... Shh, it's okay. I didn't realize she was right across the street." He rubbed her back and pulled her hood back over her head. "It's alright, we're gonna go see her." Jason buckled her in the car and drove across the street to the hospital. After he parked, he went around to open her car door, and he noticed she was frozen in panic. "Lonnie, what's her name?"  
  
"Kelly Michaels," Lonnie whispered.  
  
"That's a pretty name... Here, let's go see if you can see her," Jason whispered. Lonnie raised her arms for him to carry her, and he picked her up. Jason went to the front desk and asked for Lonnie's mother, and they gave him a room number. He took Lonnie to the door and let her down. "You wanna go in and see her by yourself?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head.  
  
"Come with me," Lonnie whispered. Jason nodded and opened the door, and there lay a woman with her eyes closed.  
  
"Mama, good morning... This is Jason," Lonnie whispered before touching her mother's hand. She stood there in silence for a little while, and she nodded. "Mama said thanks," Lonnie whispered.  
  
Jason smiled softly. "Well, tell her I said thanks for having such a great kid," Jason complimented. Lonnie took her hand back, placing it in her pocket.  
  
"Can we come back again sometime so I can show her how good I got at reading?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"We can come back whenever you like," Jason whispered. She took Jason's hand and stood there for a few seconds before they left the hospital. Jason opened her car door, and she buckled herself in before Jason got in the driver's seat to take them both home.  
  
When they got home, Jason ran Lonnie a bath and started making cocoa. As soon as she was in her pajamas, Jason made her cup and brought it to the living room, and they watched tv together. Lonnie lay her head on his lap and put her thumb in her mouth. They sat like that for so long that Jason thought she'd fallen asleep. He moved to turn the tv down, and she took his hand, placing it on top of her head. He smiled and rubbed her forehead with his thumb. "Are you still sleepy?" Jason asked. Lonnie made an affirmative noise. "You can take a nap. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
After about an hour, Jason stretched out, and she woke up. "Jason?" Lonnie mumbled. He picked her up.  
  
"Rainy days make me sleepy too," Jason whispered, "But I think you'll wake up when you hear what we're having for dinner."  
  
"Hm?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Meatball subs," Jason smiled. Lonnie let out a chuckle. "There we go. Do you wanna help out today? Or are you gonna go lay back down for a little bit?"  
  
"I'm gonna help," Lonnie replied. He pulled out the chair and let Lonnie sit on the chair to help. He had her mince the garlic and work on forming the meatballs. After she finished the first three, the doorbell rang, and Jason wiped his hands and answered the door. He invited Kyle in, and Lonnie yawned.  
  
"Don't mind her, she drinks... Say hi to Kyle, Lonnie," Jason smiled.  
  
"Is it still raining?" Lonnie asked. Kyle shook his head. "Are there puddles outside?"  
  
"Yep, real big ones," Kyle answered. Lonnie lit up and collected herself before she went back to making meatballs. After she finished, Jason put the meatballs in the oven. Lonnie washed her hands, and Kyle washed his hands as well.  
  
"Lonnie, do you want to show Kyle how to build a city?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded enthusiastically and took Kyle's hand as Jason washed dishes and started preparing their plates.  
  
Lonnie came back to get Jason, taking his hand, and she whispered, "Sorry, I made you mad this morning." Jason squeezed her hand.  
  
"I don't think I can get mad at you. Irritated, maybe, but not angry. Lonnie," Jason knelt down and held his arms out to embrace her.  
  
"Thanks for taking me to see Mama. She doesn't like the rain," Lonnie whispered as she hugged him. He smiled and followed her to the living room where she and Kyle put together the train tracks.  
  
Jason's phone rang, and Lonnie picked it up and gave it to him, only for him to set his phone aside. "What if it's important?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'm needed here," Jason replied, "Aren't I?" Lonnie smiled softly.  
  
Lonnie placed two or three separate trains on opposite sides of their small city.  
  
The oven beeped in the middle of the construction of Lonnie's city, and Jason got up to wash his hands and pulled the meatballs from the oven and placed them in hoagie buns, and poured the marinara over the meatballs. He sprinkled cheese over the hot marinara, and he opened the fridge to get the salad out. He put a little salad on everyone's plate and took Lonnie's water bottle out. "Lonnie! Come get your plate!" Jason called. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed her plate.  
  
"Thank you," Lonnie replied as she took her plate to the table and came back to get the other two.  
  
"And thank you," Jason smiled. He refilled her water bottle and poured a little pineapple juice in it. He made Kyle and himself a glass of soda, and Lonnie came back for her water as he carried the two cups to the table.   
  
They all bit into their subs, and Kyle smiled. "These are good."   
  
"Lonnie made the meatballs," Jason smiled proudly. Lonnie smiled back at him. Once they were done eating dinner, Jason went to the kitchen and stacked plates and forks on top of the cake box before setting it on the table. Kyle sat up straight, and Jason nodded. "Lonnie, I um... I think I can show you better than I can tell you," Jason whispered as he opened the box to unveil the cake.   
  
Lonnie looked up at Jason before mouthing the words to herself a few times, and she read out loud, "To Lonnie Elaine Todd, With Love." She looked at the cake and the little gummy candy frogs for a long while in silence before looking over at Jason. "You love me?" Lonnie asked. Jason smiled and nodded.  
  
"What can I say? You grew on me," Jason smiled. Lonnie got up and hugged him.  
  
"Love you too," Lonnie whispered, "And thanks for keeping your promise." Jason wrapped his arms around her and held her for a little while. Kyle snapped a picture of the two together and sent it to Jason's phone.  
  
Jason served the cake, and after they ate, they sat and watched tv for a while. Kyle left after a few cartoons, and Lonnie waited until Jason cleaned up and got ready for bed before she picked her book to read to him. Jason sat next to her on his bed, and she looked up at him. "Think I'll be as tall as you someday?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I was about your height when I was in high school, so you might be taller than me when you grow up. Who knows?" Jason answered. She smiled and started to read. By the end of the book, Lonnie was already up looking for one for Jason to read to her.  
  
Lonnie yawned as he read. As he neared the end of the story, she tugged at his sleeve. "Can I sleep here tonight?" she asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"Okay," Jason whispered. He finished reading and put the book away, and he grabbed Lonnie's pillow for her. He lay on his side facing the door, waiting for Lonnie to get comfortable behind him.  
  
Jason closed his eyes once she was settled, only to be startled awake by Lonnie being forcefully dragged out of bed.  
  
Lonnie kicked and screamed, and Jason moved to pick her up in the dark. He felt pressure against his throat, and he looked for a hand, but he couldn't feel a thing. The pressure went away and whatever dragged Lonnie out of bed suddenly let go, leaving Lonnie sitting on the floor in the middle of the room in tears. "Lonnie?" Jason asked. She reached for him, and he walked over to pick her up. "What the hell just happened?" Jason asked. Lonnie held onto him.  
  
Lonnie gasped and sobbed as she held onto him. Jason folded up her pajama pants and checked to see if her ankles were hurt. "Hey, I've got you... I've got you," Jason whispered. He sat on the floor, holding Lonnie until she fell asleep.  
  
He got up and carried her to the living room, where he turned on a single light, and he made a phone call. It rang a few times before he received an answer. "What?" the voice answered sharply.  
  
"Artemis, I think I need your help," Jason whispered. Artemis made a noise on the other line.  
  
"Well, call me when you know for sure-."  
  
"Artemis. I'm taking care of a little girl who might be magic, and she was attacked tonight. I don't what it was or why it attacked her, but she's been with me for a month now and-."  
  
"I'll help... I'm not in Gotham right now, but I'll call you as soon as I get there," Artemis replied, "Is she okay?" Jason placed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he lay Lonnie down on the couch beside him.  
  
"She's shaken up, but she's fine... I'll text you my address," Jason replied.  
  
"When you say little, what do you mean specifically?" Artemis asked.  
  
"She's seven-years-old," Jason answered. Artemis made a noise.  
  
"Give me until Monday," Artemis replied, "Do you think she'll be okay until then?" Jason made an affirmative noise. "Then, I'll call you when I'm on my way," Artemis hung up.  
  
Jason let Lonnie hold onto his fingers as she stirred, talking her back to sleep, and he sat that way all night. As the sun came up, Lonnie woke up in a panic, and Jason picked her up and held her, rocking back and forth as she cried. "Oh, Lonnie... I know," Jason reassured her in a slightly higher pitch than he was used to speaking in. "I'm not going anywhere. I've got you." He could feel her shaking as she held onto him. "Talk to me?" Jason asked softly.  
  
"He was gonna get me," Lonnie cried.  
  
"What was he? I couldn't see him," Jason whispered. Lonnie didn't answer, and Jason took a deep breath. "Lonnie, can you look at me?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "Okay..." Lonnie coughed and clutched the fabric of Jason's shirt.  
  
Jason stood up, still holding her, and he made himself a piece of cake. He got two forks from the drawer and sat back down on the couch. "Uh-oh, looks like I cut too big of a piece. Gosh, I really wish I had somebody to share it with," Jason pretended to pout as he said the words. Lonnie turned around to look at the piece of cake on the table, and he wiped her face. "I even got too many forks..." Jason sighed playfully. "I don't know how I'm gonna eat all this cake by myself." Lonnie sat on his lap. "My best friend won't speak to me today. I was hoping to share it with her... But I understand if she's too upset to eat with me."  
  
Lonnie looked up at him. "If she can't come, I'll help you eat it," Lonnie mumbled. Jason shook his head and laughed.  
  
"I was talking about you," Jason laughed as he gave her a fork. She ate one of the gummy frogs off of the cake. He pinched her cheek. "Are you okay?" Jason asked seriously. She nodded and continued eating.  
  
After they finished eating, Jason got up to pour her a glass of water, nearly knocking her over when he turned around. "Sorry," Lonnie whispered. Jason handed her the cup, and she stood there and finished it.  
  
"I think a friend of mine is gonna come to visit on Monday," Jason announced. Lonnie handed him the cup back. "Is that okay with you?" Jason asked.  
  
"Are you going away?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No," Jason replied.  
  
"Then it's okay," Lonnie answered. Jason asked her to go get dressed so that they could go to the park. Lonnie nodded, and he followed her to their room, and he stood in the doorway. Jason glanced at the hand-shaped bruise around her ankle as she walked past him. He didn't point it out. Instead, he went to his room and got his clothes ready.   
  
When Lonnie finished getting ready to go out, Jason went to the bathroom, got dressed, and he refilled their water bottles. "You can bring your shoes if you want," Jason replied, "You don't have to, though." Lonnie put her skates on, and Jason adjusted her helmet, looping a finger between her chin and helmet.  
  
"How come you're fixing it this time?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Because we're playing at the park," Jason replied, "And if somebody bumps into you, you won't get hurt."  
  
He let her in the car and drove to the park. Jason sat on the park bench as Lonnie made her way around the park in her roller skates. She played alone for nearly an hour before she came back, breathing heavily and sweating. Jason held out her water bottle, and Lonnie took a sip from the straw. She took a deep breath before taking another drink, and Jason chuckled. "Let's go get a hotdog," Jason smiled. Lonnie nodded. He stood up and took her hand as they made their way across the street to get hotdogs.  
  
They went back across the street and sat at a picnic table as they ate. Jason noticed her hands were shaking. "Hey. Hey, Lonnie," Jason called for her attention, and she looked over at him. "I'll be right back, okay?" She nodded and watched as he walked across the street. She took a deep breath and finished her hot dog.  
  
Jason came across the street with a soda, and he gave her the cup. "Feel okay?" Jason asked, feeling her face with the back of his hand. She nodded. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes as Lonnie took another couple of sips. She gave him back the soda, and he finished it off before taking her skates off, tying them together, and carrying them around his neck.  
  
"My shoes are in the car," Lonnie mumbled, and he picked her up.  
  
"That's okay," Jason replied as he walked her to the car and took her helmet off. He buckled her seatbelt and was surprised with a kiss on his cheek.  
  
She froze at the realization of what she'd done and whispered, "Sorry..."  
  
Jason smiled and brushed his knuckle against her chin. "You're a sweet kid when you wanna be," Jason smiled, and he got in the car and started driving toward home. Lonnie yawned and looked out the window.  
  
"He wasn't my real grandpa... He killed Eenie," Lonnie mumbled.  
  
"Who's Eenie?" Jason asked. Lonnie frowned at the question.  
  
"My sister. Her real name's not Eenie. It's just what we called her... That's why I wasn't mad when you said you killed him," Lonnie confessed.  
  
"Can I ask you why you wanted to tell me today?" Jason asked softly. Lonnie swallowed hard. "I'm not mad at you. I was just curious."  
  
"Because I was scared," Lonnie whispered, "Jason? Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"You can ask me anything," Jason replied.  
  
"How come you came to look for me when you took me that night?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"I was worried about you... I was scared that you'd be alone," Jason answered. Lonnie smiled.  
  
"So, you liked me?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason turned for a brief second to look at her. "Honest answer? Yeah, I liked you. I thought you were funny," Jason smiled.


	9. Parent/Teacher

For the next two nights, Lonnie slept tucked underneath Jason's arm, and Jason didn't sleep much at all. He was relieved that whatever attacked her a few nights before chose not to return. Jason noticed that Lonnie started behaving aggressively. He thought that she was only grumpy because she was tired, but early Monday morning, her anger boiled over because of leftovers. Lonnie went to the fridge, looking for leftover pizza. "I ate the rest of the pizza last night if that's what you're looking for," Jason explained. He lay on the couch half-asleep and closed his eyes only to hear glass break and Lonnie yelling. He got up and grabbed her hand before she could throw another jar to the ground, and he sat her up on the counter. She kicked and screamed as she fought him, and he shot her a look before asking, "What the hell is your problem?" Jason asked as he cleaned up the glass. None of that deterred her from throwing a tantrum the second he set her down on the couch.  
  
She screamed and cried, and Jason grew so irritated that he went to his room and slammed the door. She followed him and knocked, still screaming as she hollered, "That's not fair!"  
  
"Lonnie, I need my space right now. I just need a break for two minutes. Come back in two minutes," Jason replied. She knocked on the door.  
  
"I don't feel good!" Lonnie cried, and Jason fought the urge to bang his head against the wall as he got up to open the door, only for Lonnie to immediately throw up all over him.  
  
Jason chewed his lip, trying to avoid using a word that was dying to escape his lips. "It could definitely be worse..." Jason took her to the bathroom and sat her on the counter as he took a wet face towel and wiped her face.  
  
She softly cried as he took another towel and tried to wipe the bile off of his clothes. "Are you mad at me?" Lonnie asked, and Jason let out a laugh before taking a deep breath.  
  
"I'm so tired I honestly don't know what I am right now," Jason replied. He kissed the top of her head. "Go lay down on the couch and watch cartoons. I'm gonna take another shower." Lonnie nodded and hopped down from the counter as he made his way back to their room to get another set of clothes. After he took his shower, he used his dirty clothes to clean up before mopping the floor and taking a nap in his bed.  
  
He awakened a few hours later to Artemis tapping on his forehead. He groaned. "Nice to see you too," Artemis replied. Jason opened one eye.  
  
"She let you in the house?" Jason asked. Artemis nodded. "She should've woke me up."  
  
"She said you were mad at her," Artemis replied as he got out of bed.  
  
"I'm not mad at her. I'm tired. There's a difference. If I was angry at her, I wouldn't have kissed the top of her head. It's not her fault she's like this today. She's just tired," Jason mumbled. Artemis chuckled. "Now, what's so funny?"  
  
"You sound like a parent," Artemis smiled. Jason, however, did not. He got out of bed and went to the living room, where Lonnie played with a woman in a powder blue dress with bishop sleeves and twists down her back. Two duffle bags sat in the corner of the room.  
  
"Lonnie," Jason called her softly, and she looked at him with big sad eyes.  
  
"Are you mad at me?" she asked.  
  
"No, but you're not supposed to answer the door unless I tell you to. Come here, Stinky," Jason replied, and he picked her up. "I'm not mad at you. I was just tired." Lonnie wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"I'm sorry that I was mean this morning," she apologized.  
  
"It's okay. We were both tired... Did you get to take a nap?" Jason asked. She nodded.  
  
The woman made her way over to shake Jason's hand, and in a silvery voice, she introduced herself by saying, "I'm Safiya, you must be Jason." He shook her hand and looked over at Artemis.  
  
"I'm sorry... Artemis, can I speak to you?" Jason asked as he put Lonnie down. They went back to his room, and he closed the door. "Who is Safiya?" Jason asked.  
  
"She's here to help... I trust her. Besides, she has much more patience than I do, and she adores children... But, I think I might have misunderstood what Lonnie means to you," Artemis replied.  
  
"What do you mean? You weren't gonna have her-."  
  
"Of course not. Lonnie's just a child. I just thought you meant you wanted someone to take her in," Artemis interrupted. Jason pinched the bridge of his nose.  
  
"So that woman out there thinks she's gonna just adopt my ki-. She thinks she's gonna take Lonnie?" Jason asked.  
  
"I can fix that. I'll go talk to Safiya," Artemis replied. "Jason?"  
  
"Huh?" Jason asked.  
  
"Relax, you look angry," she paused and cocked her head, "No, actually, you look tense." Jason took a deep breath and went back out to the living room.  
  
"What's wrong?" Lonnie asked, and Jason shook his head. She fidgeted with her hands and looked at everyone. "Are you gonna send me away because I was mean this morning?" Lonnie asked with tears in her eyes.  
  
"No, of course not. I'm not sending you anywhere. Wherever I stay, you stay. As long as you want," Jason reassured, and Safiyah nodded.  
  
Safiyah knelt down to reiterate what Jason said, and Lonnie turned away from her. She ran to Jason and hugged him. "Promise?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"I promise," Jason whispered, "Safiya is here to... Um... Safiya?"  
  
"I'm here to teach you how to use magic and how to protect yourself using magic," Safiya explained, "I understand you were attacked recently." Lonnie nodded. "I would like to help you figure out why that happened and stop it from happening again if we can."  
  
Lonnie held onto Jason's hand, and he squeezed it to reassure her. "See, she'll just be your teacher for a while," Jason answered, "You can go play outside now that I'm awake... Okay?" Lonnie nodded and went to go get her skates. As soon as Jason heard the front door shut behind her, he plopped down on the couch. "It's been a rough morning..."  
  
"I misunderstood what Jason meant over the phone when he said he needed help," Artemis explained.  
  
"But if you still want to help, you can stay here," Jason replied as he leaned forward to gesture for them to have a seat. "I'm sorry if I came off as defensive earlier. I've just gotten attached to the kid, and I don't want her to think I'm trying to give her away," Jason apologized.  
  
Safiya smiled. "I would love to help. It seems like you really care about her... Can I ask a few questions about what happened?" she asked. Jason nodded and started explaining his experience with the power Lonnie possessed. She intently listened as Jason spoke, and Artemis stepped out to check on Lonnie.  
  
"I've been up the past two days making sure she sleeps through the night, so this has been the only real sleep I've gotten since it happened," Jason explained.  
  
"Would you mind if I spoke to her later about her shadow people?" Safiya asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"I don't mind," Jason whispered, "There is one thing that I can't change, and that's the fact that I read with her before she goes to bed. That's not until around six-thirty or seven-ish." Safiyah nodded.  
  
"Why don't you call her your daughter?" Safiyah asked. "It's apparent to me that you love her." Jason took a deep breath.  
  
"It's not that easy. It's one thing to love Lonnie and want to protect her. It's another to take the role of a father-."  
  
"I'm sorry, but did you not describe the role of the father?" Safiya asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"No-. I mean, yes, but it's more than that... I think it's more than that," Jason whispered. Safiya leaned forward, and Jason continued, "I don't know, maybe it's something that's missing in me..."  
  
Safiya said nothing further on the subject. Instead, she continued to speak to Jason about Lonnie. "At first, I'll only need about fifteen minutes of her time in the morning and another fifteen in the afternoon, as things progress that might change," she explained. Jason nodded.  
  
"As long as I get my time at the end of the day with her, it's fine," Jason replied, "I guess I should start maneuvering some things to make space. I'm gonna go get Lonnie too if you want to talk to her now." Safiya nodded, and Jason went outside to grab Lonnie.  
  
Lonnie skated in circles around Artemis. "Jason, does she really have a giant ax?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"Yeah, it's bigger than me," Jason replied.  
  
"She is," Artemis smiled, "Jason, I see why you like her so much. She's funny."  
  
"That's what he tells me," Lonnie replied, and Jason chuckled.  
  
"It's fine," Jason nodded at Artemis, "Thanks."  
  
"You don't want a hug, do you?" Artemis asked. Lonnie covered her mouth as she laughed. "You think I should give him a hug?" Artemis asked.  
  
"Can I get a hug?" Lonnie asked. Artemis crouched down and embraced Lonnie.  
  
"Maybe when I return, I'll bring you a gift," Artemis whispered.  
  
"No weapons," Jason replied. Artemis rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'll come up with something. Until then, take it easy on Jason. He's fragile," Artemis joked. Lonnie smiled.  
  
Jason shook his head and took Lonnie's hand. "Thanks," Jason smiled. Artemis nodded and waved at Lonnie before leaving. Jason took Lonnie back inside and took off her skates and her helmet before telling Lonnie that Safiya wanted to speak to her. Jason left them both to talk to each other. Jason went back to his room and carefully dismantled the bottom bunk of Lonnie's bed.  
  
After Jason finished taking apart the bed and made his way to the living room. He started rearranging the furniture. Safiya looked at him. "Do you need some help?" Safiya asked. Jason shook his head. "Are we in the way?"  
  
"No, you're not in the way," Jason replied as he pushed the couch around her. Safiya continued speaking to Lonnie as Jason moved things around.  
  
After he started carrying the bottom bunk parts to the living room, Lonnie tugged Jason's sleeves. "Jason?" Lonnie asked. "I wanna help."  
  
Jason handed her a screwdriver. "Ask Safiya if she wants anything to eat. I'm taking you out to eat in a little bit," Jason replied, "Go, I'll wait for you before I start putting it back together."  
  
Lonnie nodded and went back to the living room. "Safiya, Jason's gonna order food. He wants to know what you like to eat," Lonnie asked.  
  
"I'm not partial," Safiya answered, "Actually, I would like to go to the store if it isn't too much trouble." Lonnie nodded and went back to the room to ask Jason if Safiya could go to the store.  
  
"Mhm, I'll take her wherever she needs to go," Jason replied, "Make sure you get the toolbox." Lonnie nodded and watched as Jason carried out parts of the bed frame. She waited for Jason to carry all the bed frame parts to the living room before she brought his toolbox.  
  
"Can I screw in the screws?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"I'll tell you when okay?" Jason replied.  
  
Safiya helped Jason hold parts of the frame together while he directed Lonnie on which screws to screw in and what screwdrivers to use. "Lonnie, the Phillips-. No, look, you see the shape of the screw? The x-shaped one. There you go," Jason instructed. Lonnie screwed in the screws.  
  
Jason continued pointing out parts for her to screw the screws in. "What is your favorite thing to do with Jason, Lonnie?" Safiya asked. Lonnie looked up at her.  
  
"Watch your fingers," Jason warned, and Lonnie nodded, looking back down as she worked.  
  
"I like it when we build cities out of blocks. Jason even helped me make Gotham," Lonnie answered. Jason looked away as a smile made its way across his face. Jason let go of the frame and helped Lonnie screw in the rest of the screws, and Jason went back and tightened them for her afterward. "Hey!"  
  
"No, you screwed them in just right. You go back and tighten the screws after the frame is together. You screwed them in just enough to make my job really easy," Jason commended her. She smiled. Jason picked her up and moved her out of the way of the bed frame before going back to get the mattress. "Lonnie, wanna go get the pillows for me?" Lonnie nodded.  
  
After Lonnie helped Jason set up the bed, they all went out to the car to get lunch. Jason dropped Safiya off at the store across the street from the restaurant Lonnie picked. "We'll meet up here when you're done. Don't feel rushed," Jason smiled as he dropped her off, and Safiya nodded.  
  
As Jason walked Lonnie into the restaurant, he let Lonnie order. "You want a lemonade or a milkshake?" Jason asked. Lonnie shrugged. "Let's you and I do lemonades this time, okay?" Lonnie nodded. Jason sat with Lonnie in silence for a little while at the table after the waitress left.  
  
"Jason? If I get tomatoes, can you eat them?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Yup. Hey, Lonnie, what do you think of Safiya?" he asked.  
  
Lonnie shrugged. "I think I like her. I don't know her yet," Lonnie replied.  
  
"Did you like me when you met me?" Jason asked.  
  
"I thought you were funny," Lonnie smiled, "I don't think I liked you, though." Jason chuckled. Lonnie smiled. "Just kidding."  
  
Jason pinched her cheek. "You're a real comedian." The waitress came back with their food and drinks, and Jason and Lonnie thanked her.  
  
Jason took the tomato out of Lonnie's burger and proceeded to cut her burger into four sections. He started eating his side dish first as Lonnie ate her burger. "Do you think Safiya likes us?"  
  
"I think she does, yeah... You know what, Lonnie? I think it's pretty hard not to like you, and that's coming from someone who doesn't like to be around a lot of people," Jason replied before going back to eating, and Safiya came back to the restaurant. Jason waved at her, and she sat at the table across from them.  
  
"We got you a lemonade, but we didn't know when you were coming," Lonnie stated.  
  
"Thank you very much," Safiya smiled. The waitress came back a little while later, and Safiya ordered her food, and Jason ordered dessert for himself and Lonnie.  
  
After lunch, Jason took Lonnie and Safiya to the park, and he let Lonnie play for a while. Safiya sat next to Jason on the park bench, quietly observing Lonnie until Jason started asking Safiya questions. "So, are you like Lonnie?" Jason asked.  
  
Safiyah shook her head. "No, whatever ability she has is innate. I study and practice magic," Safiya answered. Lonnie ran over to them, and she had her hands clasped shut.  
  
"That's always fun. Whatcha got?" Jason asked. Lonnie opened her hands, and a frog jumped out at him. He chuckled. "Joke's on you, Stinky. I'm not scared of frogs."  
  
Lonnie smiled. "Can I have him back?" Lonnie asked. Jason caught him and placed him carefully back into Lonnie's hands.  
  
"Go put him back in the pond," Jason commanded, and as soon as she was out of earshot, he turned back to Safiya to continue their conversation. "How can you tell?" Jason asked.  
  
"It's obvious. Lonnie can interact with people long gone, and she's only a child," Safiya explained, "Tomorrow when I start with her, I'd like for you to sit in. I think she'd be more comfortable working with me for a little while with you in the room." Jason nodded.  
  
"No problem, whatever you need me to do for her, consider it done," Jason replied.


	10. Try Try Again

Early the next morning, Safiya entered Jason and Lonnie's room to gently wake Lonnie out of her sleep. Lonnie sat up, still half asleep. "Shh, be careful not to wake-."

"I'm awake," Jason interrupted as he turned over in bed. Lonnie climbed down from her bed and got her clothes ready, and she set her clothes at the foot of Jason's bed before greeting him with a hug. "Go get ready, okay?" Jason smiled. She nodded and took her clothes to the bathroom.

"Did you sleep at all?" Safiya asked. Jason shook his head. Jason stretched his limbs, and he let his elbows rest on his knees as he held his face in his hands. "It's not her fault, I guess I just can't-. I'm restless. I was up all night checking on her," Jason answered. Safiya smiled. "What?"

"You're just like Artemis described," Safiya smiled, "Except for one thing... I think she downplayed your tenderness."

"Now, that's all because of Lonnie. I mean, I'm not really the most emotional person... Not anymore, I guess. She just has a way of making me forget I'm being affectionate," Jason answered.

"Maybe today will be good for you as well as Lonnie," Safiya replied. Jason smiled and shrugged.

"We'll see," Jason replied. Safiya closed his door on her way out of the room. Jason waited until Lonnie came back to the room to ask him for breakfast. Jason got up and got ready before going to the kitchen and blending up a smoothie for the three of them. Lonnie sat at the kitchen island swinging her feet, and Jason stood up by the fridge, drinking straight from his glass. Safiyah sipped her smoothie from a straw, just as Lonnie did.

Once they were finished, Jason washed out their glasses and dried them before putting them away, and Safiya led them back to the living room. She sat on the floor, and once Lonnie and Jason sat down, she corrected Lonnie's posture. Jason followed suit, sitting up straight and relaxing his shoulders.

Safiya sat for a while in silence before arranging stones in a pattern and asking them to close their eyes. "Take a deep breath, releasing it slowly. As you continue to take deep breaths," Safiya commanded as she painted a vivid picture of a blanket-like cocoon and its warmth. Jason found it difficult to connect to the feeling. Lonnie seemed to block out just about everything but the mental image. Jason focused on Safiya's words, and he started to feel claustrophobic. Jason shifted his weight a little, and Lonnie reached out and touched his knee. He relaxed and re-focused on Safiya's voice. After a while, Safiya opened her eyes and prompted Jason and Lonnie to do so as well. Neither of them answered, so Safiya placed her hands on their shoulders. Jason opened his eyes, and he nudged Lonnie. She smiled at Jason and gave him a hug.

"You did it," Lonnie whispered. Jason smiled and nodded. Safiya looked a little confused.

"I was feeling a little claustrophobic," Jason replied. Safiya nodded, and she asked Jason where their writing and art supplies were, and Lonnie got up and pulled the pencils and paper out.

Safiya then instructed them to write down what they saw and felt. Jason drew a few lines for Lonnie's words and helped her write down her words into sentences as he wrote his own. "Lonnie put a period at the end of your sentence," Jason whispered.

"How do I know when it's a sentence?" Lonnie asked.

"For now, a sentence would start with, I think, I feel, It was, I liked, and then you would say what you thought, what you felt, or what you liked, and put a period," Jason explained. Lonnie took a deep breath and started writing. Jason wrote his experience down, helping Lonnie work on hers. He could see Lonnie's growing frustration as she tried to write down her thoughts into words, and he tapped her shoulder. "Lonnie?" Jason whispered. She slammed her pencil down, and he turned to her and nudged her. "Hey, I know. It's not the easiest thing to figure out, but you're learning... Okay?" Lonnie sighed and nodded. "Can you pour us some juice?" Jason asked, and Lonnie got up and went to the kitchen.

"What happened?" Safiya asked.

"I just spared the three of us from experiencing the tantrum of a lifetime," Jason whispered, "She's a smart kid. She just doesn't know how to tell you she's burnt out yet. I'm working on that with her." Lonnie came back with two glasses of juice.

"I left my water in the kitchen," Lonnie replied. Jason got up and went to get it, leaving Safiya and Lonnie to talk.

Safiya leaned forward and asked if she could read Lonnie's sentences. Lonnie nodded. "Since you didn't finish writing it, maybe you'd feel more comfortable explaining it to me?" Safiya suggested.

"I wanna write it still. I'm not quitting. It's just hard," Lonnie replied. Jason stood out of her sightline, listening.

"Lonnie, do you feel like Jason would be disappointed in you for not being good at things?" Safiya asked. Lonnie shook her head.

"Nuh-uh, he's not mean like that. I just don't wanna give up," Lonnie replied.

"All the same, would you like to share what you felt?" Safiya asked. Lonnie shrugged, and Jason brought her water bottle to the table.

"Mind if I share how I felt?" Jason asked. Lonnie drank a sip of her water before shaking her head. "It took me a while to imagine it myself, and when I did... I didn't feel comforted at all. I actually felt closed in. This leads me to ask, how did you know I was uncomfortable?" Jason asked.

Lonnie shrugged. "I dunno, it just made sense..." Safiya took a sip of her juice, waiting to see how Lonnie would respond to Jason sharing his experience. "And I didn't feel scared, I just felt warm. It was nice. I started getting sleepy." Jason smiled.

After they finished their juice, Jason took out some art supplies and let Lonnie take a break for a while. Lonnie used rulers and pencils to draw a map. "Where are we?" Lonnie asked.

"On a map? We'd be here," Jason replied, pointing to the bottom left corner of the page. Lonnie nodded and drew a little house on the bottom left corner. "This is the park." Jason pointed to another spot on the page.

"Where does your dad live?" Lonnie asked. Jason pointed to the top right corner.

She drew her map for nearly an hour before Jason set things aside. "Let's get some chalk. I wanna show you something," Jason announced. Lonnie got up and picked up a small bucket of chalk before putting her shoes on. Jason got up and grabbed Lonnie's jacket. He stopped her on her way out the door and put her sweater on, buttoning it up all the way, before he put his shoes on. Jason pulled her hood from underneath her jacket and onto her head as he opened the door.

Jason took blue chalk from the bucket and wrote the word 'noun' on the ground. "Noun?" Lonnie looked confused.

"That's right. A noun's a person, place, thing, or idea," Jason replied as he wrote her name, frog, Gotham, and honesty. "These are nouns."

"What else?" Lonnie asked.

"Whole lotta different things," Jason whispered before taking white chalk and drawing a hopscotch pattern. "Lonnie is a sweet kid," Jason stated as he hopped on the hopscotch pattern. Lonnie watched as Jason took the pink chalk and colored in the squares he'd jumped in when he used a noun. "Those are nouns. Lonnie and kid are nouns." He wrote the word kid down along with the other nouns.

He took blue chalk and wrote the word 'adjective' before writing sweet, empty, green, painful, yummy, and powerful. "An adjective describes how something looks, smells, touches, tastes, or sounds. Not every sentence has an adjective," Jason explained, "But every sentence has a noun, Lonnie. Tell me something, anything."

Lonnie stood there for a while, and she looked at him and said, "Jason is a nice man."

Jason smiled at her before dissecting her sentence and explaining what each part was. "And every sentence has an end. A period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark," Jason explained as he showed her what they looked like. "You remember these from stories we've read. I want you to pay attention to them tonight." Lonnie nodded. "I'm gonna use a highlighter tonight in whichever book we read to help you see what's what, but all you need to know is every sentence has a noun, and every sentence has an end."

"Jason? Was reading the easy part? Is writing harder than reading?" Lonnie asked. Jason sat on the ground, and Lonnie sat next to him.

"It's all hard at first, but you'll get it. You only get better as time goes by. Besides, you're a hardworking kid. You caught on to skating, you caught on to reading, and you've got a lot more things to catch on to as time goes on," Jason reassured. Lonnie lay her head on his arm, and he smiled.

After a while, he got up and played hopscotch with Lonnie until lunchtime came around. "Hey, Lonnie, what do you want to eat?" Jason asked.

"Tuna sandwich," Lonnie answered. Jason picked her up and carried her under his arm.

"Tuna fish sandwich?" Jason exclaimed in a comically high-pitched tone of voice. He left the chalk outside as he carried her in. He put her down to go wash his hands, and she followed. "Safiya, do you eat tuna?" Jason asked. She nodded. Jason boiled two eggs, and Lonnie went to the living room to sit with Safiya.

"Safiya? Are you married?" Lonnie asked. Safiya nodded.

"I am married, actually," Safiya smiled, showing Lonnie her bracelet. "She gave this to me on our wedding night."

"Does she get mad when you're away for a long time?" Lonnie asked. Safiya shook her head.

"She's usually nearby. I'll go see her soon, but for now, she understands that I'm busy." Lonnie smiled.

"Are you older than Jason?" Lonnie asked. Safiya nodded.

"Lonnie! You can't ask that," Jason chuckled out of embarrassment.

"It's fine, I don't mind her asking at all," Safiya replied.

"Can I ask how much older?" Lonnie asked.

"Probably not much older," Safiya replied, "I'm twenty-seven." Lonnie nodded.

"Does your wife know magic?" Lonnie asked. Safiya shook her head.

"No, but she was there when I learned my very first spell. A spell that I will teach you very soon," Safiya replied. Lonnie lit up.

"Really?" Lonnie exclaimed. Safiya nodded.

"Really," Safiya smiled. After Jason finished making everyone's sandwiches, he called Lonnie to the kitchen to help set the table. He handed her two glasses and waited for her to come back to give her two plates.

"Got it?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded, and she carried the plates to the table. Jason took his plate and cup to the table, sitting with them.

"Jason, what were you like as a child?" Safiya asked. Jason shrugged.

"Imagine Lonnie, except not as fun or as cute, and that's me. At least when I was her age," Jason replied. Lonnie finished her sandwich.

Jason took his pinky and swiped some crumbs off the side of Lonnie's mouth. "What were you like?" Lonnie asked Safiya. Safiya took a sip of sweet tea.

"I was shy. It was terrible," Safiya smiled. "But, had I been more outgoing, I never would've learned magic."

"Where'd you pick up magic?" Jason asked.

"I picked up healing and defensive in Bana-Mighdall and a lot of the other magic I learned here in the United States," Safiya replied. Lonnie took a sip of her juice. "Can I make another sandwich?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded. "Do you want another one?" Lonnie asked.

"You offering to make me one?" Jason asked. She nodded and took his plate. "I'll have one more. Thanks, Bubba." Lonnie asked Safiya, and she shook her head.

"No, thank you," Safiya smiled. Lonnie nodded and took her plate to the kitchen. "What do you have planned for her long-term?" Safiya asked seriously. Jason took a sip of sweet tea and cleared his throat.

"I plan on teaching her everything I know, maybe legitimately adopt her... Move into a real house, something she can grow into. I want to warm her up to the idea of going to a public or private school, but I won't hold my breath on it," Jason whispered.

"Is moving a definite plan?" Safiya asked. Jason nodded.

"She's staying with me, and this isn't the kind of place she can grow into. Don't know when I'm gonna start looking into places, but it's gotta happen eventually... Why?" Jason asked.

Safiya asked, "Do you think settling into a real home would be safer?" Jason's smile faded.

"It's not about how safe things are... If that was the case, I wouldn't move her anywhere. It's about how normal she feels," Jason whispered, "Safe isn't really a thing that exists, not out there. If I focus too much on keeping her safe, I'd be keeping her from living." Safiya nodded. Lonnie came back with two sandwiches cut diagonally on her plate.  
  
"Thank you," Jason smiled. Lonnie nodded and bit into her tuna sandwich.

After lunch, Safiya took Lonnie back outside, and Jason followed. "Magic is a lot like manners. When we upset someone or damage something, our immediate instincts should be to fix our wrongs," Safiya explained as she crouched down and plucked a flower from the ground. "To right a wrong, we would have to know the value of what we damaged or what we said. When you understand the effect that damage might have on a person or thing, you can form your intent. Do you understand what that is?" Safiya asked. Lonnie nodded. "Intent is the basis for all magic." Safiya then took her hands and placed them over the soil. "However, not all intent is good. For the sake of this current lesson, though, we'll focus on good intent, which is the basis for all healing." Safiya raised her hands to show a fully regrown flower in the spot where she plucked it.

"Whoa!" Lonnie exclaimed. "Jason, did you see that?"

Jason nodded, and Safiya motioned for Lonnie to try it herself. Lonnie plucked another flower from the ground and held her hands over it. Jason sat on the floor, watching as Lonnie removed her hands from the spot. Nothing happened. "How come-."

"It's about intent. Focus on why you're doing it," Safiya explained, and Lonnie placed her hands over the spot once again. She waited a long while before removing her hands.  
"I can't do it!" Lonnie cried.

"Hey! Cut it out. I know that it's not easy... You like honey, right, Lonnie?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Well, bees need flowers to make honey... All you need to do is think about fixing what you broke. That's all Safiya's trying to say... Go on, try it again." Lonnie wiped away her tears, and she pushed the pads of her fingers into the dirt. She was unsuccessful a third time.

"That's alright, Lonnie, we'll work on it," Safiya replied. Lonnie swallowed hard and looked at Jason, and he opened his arms to embrace her.

"Hey, those were good tries. We'll take a break for now and get back to it... It's okay," Jason reassured.


	11. A Lot to Learn

The next morning, Jason awakened before everyone else, and he got ready to go out to the store by himself. He cut up some fruit for Lonnie's breakfast and wrote a note. Jason stepped outside, and his breath caught for a moment. He turned around and ran back inside, and he woke Safiya and Lonnie up. "Come outside!" Jason yelled as Lonnie made her way down her ladder with her eyes still closed. Jason picked her up.

"Jason," Lonnie whined, "I don't have any shoes on." Jason pressed a big kiss to her cheek.

"It's okay. I just want you to see this," Jason smiled as he stepped outside to show Lonnie all the flowers in the front yard. Safiya stopped at the front door.

"She did all this..." Safiya covered her mouth.

"That's my girl!" Jason exclaimed before he realized what he was saying, and Lonnie threw her arms around his neck. "You did that! See what happens when you don't give up?" He took her back inside and set her back down. "I'm so proud of you. Look, I'm gonna go to the grocery store and pick up a few things. Be good, okay?" Lonnie shook her head.

"I wanna go with you," Lonnie whispered.

Jason looked over at Safiya. "Is there anything you need at the store and do you need Lonnie at a specific time today?"

She shook her head. "I don't need anything," she replied, her voice still distant.

"Lonnie, go get ready. I'll wait for you," Jason smiled. He sat on the couch while Lonnie went to the bathroom. Safiya plopped down next to him. "What's the matter?" Jason asked.

"She's going to be much easier to teach than I thought, but the issue with that is that she's so young... Doesn't that worry you?" Safiya asked. Jason shook his head.

"She's a good kid. With Lonnie, I don't think I'll ever have an issue with her hurting someone," Jason whispered, "Don't worry about that. She's my responsibility." Jason's voice was gentle, almost confident as he reassured her. Safiya nodded. "I just want her to feel safe. That's all I want. Nothing too heavy."

Nothing else was said on the matter. Lonnie came out of the bathroom, and Jason got up from the couch and waited by the door as Lonnie put her shoes on. "We'll be right back, Safiya. I made fruit salad for breakfast," Jason pointed out as they walked out the door. Lonnie looked up at Jason. "I was only supposed to grow one flower. Wasn't I?" she asked. Jason nodded.

"Hey, on the bright side, the yard looks a lot prettier, and you got the point of the lesson," Jason replied. Lonnie nodded. He buckled his seatbelt as soon as he got in the car and made his way to the grocery store.

As soon as they went inside the store, Lonnie asked if she could hold the list. Jason nodded. Jason let her stand on the basket as he pushed. "Jason?" Lonnie asked.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Can I help make dinner tonight?" Lonnie asked.

"Yup, what do you want to make tonight?" Jason asked.

"Pizza," Lonnie answered. Jason nodded.

"We can make a pizza," Jason replied, "What do you want for breakfast?" Lonnie tilted her head back to look up at him.

Jason playfully bit at her, and she giggled. "I don't know. What do you want?" Lonnie asked.

"Can we have donuts?" Jason asked. Lonnie made a noise.

"Hmm... No," Lonnie replied.

"Wow, so no donuts?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head. "Ice cream?" She shook her head. "Who's the grown-up here?" Jason joked. Lonnie laughed. "Okay, how about we split one of those big breakfast wraps they make at the deli?"

"Okay!" Lonnie replied. Jason stopped in the aisle and picked out a few brands of breakfast cereal. "If you could be a kid again, would you?"

"I think before you started staying with me, I would've said yes... But I think people have kids because they want to feel like kids again. I think I'd rather have you around," Jason replied honestly. He made his way to the next aisle, and Lonnie helped him get some things off the list.

"Are you still gonna let me live with you when I grow up?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.

"You can live with me as long as you want," Jason replied, "But I think you'll want your own place when you grow up."

"I won't wanna go anywhere else. I like you too much," Lonnie held onto the front of the basket as he pushed it to the next aisle.

Jason didn't say anything. Instead, he finished up his grocery shopping, and they went to the deli to grab breakfast.

Jason took her outside, and she ate next to him in the front seat of the car. "Shit... Know what I forgot?" Jason asked. Lonnie looked up at him with a mouth full of food. "Juice."

Lonnie nodded and finished chewing before she spoke. "Need a soda?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, and after they finished eating, he went back inside to buy two sodas.

Lonnie sat in the front seat with him a little while longer, and he noticed that she was staring at him. "What?" Jason asked.

"You're not that big... I mean, you're big, but you're not as big as you seemed at first," Lonnie replied.

"That, or you're getting a little taller... Maybe I should start keeping track. What do you think, Lonnie Elaine?" Jason asked.

"Okay," Lonnie smiled.

Jason stretched out. "Okay, time to get in the back seat. Not that it wasn't fun having you up here," Jason smiled. Lonnie nodded and climbed into the backseat. She put her seatbelt on, and they went home. When they arrived, Safiya was out front eating fruit out of a bowl, watching the horizon. Jason got the groceries out of the car and asked Lonnie to talk to Safiya for a while.

Lonnie stood next to Safiya for a while in silence, and Safiya looked over at her. "Lonnie, can you try to regrow one flower today?" Safiya asked. "Only one?" Lonnie nodded and knelt down on the ground. She picked a single flower and looked up at Safiya. Safiya, in turn, nodded.

Lonnie covered the spot with her hands, and she felt something tickle her palms. "Safiya!" She took her hands away, and there stood a well-formed flower. Lonnie let out a shriek of excitement, prompting Jason to run outside, and Safiya embraced her, nearly knocking her over.

"She did it!" Safiya exclaimed, pointing to the single flower on the opposite side of the front walk. Jason let a wide smile spread across his face.

"Look at you!" Jason exclaimed. He picked Lonnie up.

They went inside the house, and Safiya washed her dish. Lonnie helped Jason finish putting up the groceries. "Safiya, sorry it took us so long. Lonnie insisted on having donuts for breakfast," Jason joked.

"I did not," Lonnie smiled.

After they finished putting up the groceries, Jason took out his phone and asked Lonnie to take out specific items while he spoke to Safiya. Jason took Safiya to his room and immediately asked her, "What was different this time?"

"Well, sometimes magic can be specific... It's easy when we're frustrated to lose focus on our intention, not to make what Lonnie did seem unimpressive... I wanted to speak to you about something else as well," Safiya whispered as she handed Jason an envelope he'd received in the mail. "Have you read it?"

"I don't need to. I know what it is. It's an invitation," Jason replied as he took it and set it aside.

"Have you told Lonnie about it?" Safiya asked.

"No, because it's not important... I wouldn't have gone anyway," Jason replied. Safiya looked at him for a while before shaking her head.

"Maybe you wouldn't have gone, but I think deep down you want to go. Why suffer from longing when you don't have to?" Safiya asked.

Jason sighed. "I'm not longing for anything. I just like to focus on one thing at a time... And right now, that one thing is Lonnie," Jason replied.

"What was it before Lonnie?" she asked.

"Myself-."

"So this is about Lonnie?" Safiya asked. Jason held his face in his hands.

"No, this is not about Lonnie. This is about how my accepting that invitation would just be more stress than it's worth. I don't want to-."

"Why would it be stressful?" Safiya removed his hands from his face. "Why the avoidance, Jason?"

"I don't want to talk about this," Jason replied.

"Well, it's suffocating you on the inside. Whatever it is, it's forcing you to lock away parts of yourself. Important parts. If you don't want to talk about it, at least think about it. Think about how your feelings and your fears will affect Lonnie going forward... Because it will affect her," Safiya replied in a stern tone of voice. Jason didn't answer her. She turned around to leave the room before whispering, "Acknowledging our fears doesn't hurt as much as burying them, Jason... And pain is just another form of fear. I see it all over you." She left him there in the room and closed the door behind her. Jason took a deep breath and sat underneath Lonnie's loft bed for a moment.

As the days went on, Safiya taught Lonnie other healing spells, and Jason watched as she mastered each one. Safiya swelled with pride. As the days turned to weeks, Safiya taught Lonnie protection spells, and finally, defensive magic. During this time, Jason continued teaching Lonnie how to write sentences, even teaching her how to write letters and poetry. He loved her poems. Safiya noted that it might have made Lonnie's magic stronger.

Jason still pondered over Safiya's words to him that morning. He left the invitation in the same spot as a reminder, contemplating what accepting it would mean. Jason didn't want to hold Lonnie back, but watching her excel in magic and pick up writing with such rapidity made him wonder if Safiya was only trying to frighten him.

During this time, Safiya and Lonnie were able to forge a bond of sorts. So much so Lonnie felt comfortable staying with her when Jason went out late one evening. "You've got her?" Jason asked. Safiya looked at Lonnie and nodded.

"Yeah, I've got her," Safiya smiled.

"And how about you, Lonnie, you think you can help her hold down the fort until I get back?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "I won't be gone long. Maybe just an hour or so, but I'll be back in time to read to you."

"Promise?" Lonnie asked. Jason held out his pinkie, and Lonnie embraced him. She waved goodbye as Jason walked out the front door, and as soon as he was gone, she and Safiya sat on the couch.

"Lonnie," Safiya whispered. Lonnie looked over at her.

"Yeah?" Lonnie asked.

"I think I'll be leaving soon. Although there's still a lot for you to learn, I really don't think there's much else that I can teach you," Safiya replied, "A lot of your skill comes from instinct. You should always trust your instincts."

"Will you visit someday?" Lonnie asked. Safiya nodded.

"Of course, next time, I'll bring my wife so she can meet you," Safiya replied. Lonnie smiled. "And in the meantime, maybe you can write to us. I'll leave my address with Jason when I leave next week." Lonnie lay her head on Safiya's lap as they watched tv. Lonnie changed the channel over to the news.

They watched tv together for about an hour until Jason got back. He thanked Safiya for watching Lonnie, and he took his shower. After he got out of the bathroom, he let Lonnie pick a book to read, and they took turns reading to one another. "Jason?" Lonnie whispered.

"Hm?" Jason asked.

"Safiya's going away next week... Can we do something nice for her?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.

"I think that's a good idea," Jason whispered, "We'll go get her something tomorrow... But for now, it's time for bed." Jason watched as Lonnie climbed up the ladder to her loft bed before he turned out the light. Jason closed his eyes and went to sleep, but he was awakened by a text. He rolled over and turned his ringer down. The next time he fell asleep, Safiya woke him.

"I know it's early, but can I speak to you?" Safiya asked.

"What?" Jason asked, still half-asleep. He got out of bed and followed her to the living room. "Something wrong?"

"No. I just wanted to revisit our conversation one more time," Safiya whispered, "Have you considered going?"

"I'm gonna go. It's coming up in two weeks... I went and picked out Lonnie's dress," Jason paused and pushed his hair back as he sat down on the couch. "That's why I needed you to watch her. I was gonna surprise her." Safiya smiled.

"What changed your mind?" Safiya asked.

"Lonnie did. In these two months that I've had her, life has been good... I just want her to know she has a family, even if we're not the best family," Jason whispered. Safiya lay a hand on his shoulder.

"I think that's a great choice," Safiya smiled.


	12. Repeating History

A few days after Safiya left, Jason moved Lonnie's bed back into their room, but he left the couch where he'd moved it. Lonnie slept in a little later than usual. He figured it was because she missed Safiya. After nearly two hours, he tried to wake her up, and he felt the heat come off of her face. "Lonnie," Jason whispered. She made a noise, and he stood on the ladder and pulled her out of bed. He sat back on his bed, still holding her, and he felt her face with the back of his hand. "Why didn't you tell me you don't feel good?" Jason asked. Lonnie shivered, and Jason pulled a blanket over her. She didn't speak. Lonnie pushed her face into his stomach and let out a small cry.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked. Lonnie clutched the bottom of his t-shirt, pulling it to her face. "Shh, what happened?" She never answered. He rocked back and forth, holding her until she cried herself to sleep.

Once she was sound asleep, Jason slipped out of the room to make something for Lonnie to eat. He refilled her water bottle halfway with water and a little over half with juice. Jason cut up some cucumbers, orange, and red onion for a salad. He made a small bowl and went back to their room, placing Lonnie's water bottle on the nightstand. He waited with her until she woke up again. Lonnie opened her eyes and rolled on her side, facing Jason. "Hungry?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. Jason took Lonnie's water bottle and held it up so she could drink her water.

He sat the water back up on the counter and went to the kitchen to grab Lonnie's little bowl. She smiled when she looked in the bowl, and he propped up her pillows so she could sit up. "What?" Jason asked.

"You cut onions," Lonnie rasped. He smiled.

"They might help you feel better. I'll eat what you can't," Jason whispered. Lonnie ate a few of the onions and a little bit of orange. "Lonnie, I love you," Jason whispered.

"I love you too," Lonnie whispered. Jason rubbed her forehead with his thumb. She ate a little bit more and pushed the bowl away. Jason finished her bowl and let her lay back down.

"Lonnie, want some more juice?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "You wanna stay here, or you wanna lay on the couch?"

"Can I lay on the couch?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded and picked her up.

He set her down on the couch and went back to the room to bring her blankets and pillows. Lonnie closed her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere. You can relax," Jason reassured, "I'm not gonna leave you." Lonnie took a deep breath, and he watched as she put her thumb in her mouth and fell asleep. Jason turned on the tv and waited a while before wrapping her blankets around her a little tighter. Lonnie slept until about one in the afternoon, and by then, Jason fell asleep as well. She got up and went to the bathroom, leaving Jason to sleep on the couch alone. When he woke up, he immediately went back to their room to look for her, and he panicked. "Lonnie?" he yelled. "Lonnie-."

"I'm in the bathtub," Lonnie attempted to yell back, and Jason let out a sigh of relief, leaning up against the wall. He took Lonnie's water bottle to the living room and waited for her to come back. Lonnie walked out of the bathroom in different pajamas, holding one of Jason's folded up sweatshirts. "Are you mad at me?" Lonnie asked.

Jason picked her up. "No, I'm not mad at you. I thought you were gone," Jason whispered, "When did you wake up?"

"A little while ago. It wasn't a long time," Lonnie mumbled. Jason held on tight to Lonnie, still in shock from the thought of losing her. "Jason?"

"Yeah?" Jason asked.

"I'm not gonna leave you," she whispered. Jason smiled.

"I know," Jason whispered. He put her back down, and they walked over to the couch. Jason gave Lonnie her water bottle, and she took a sip, still clutching his folded up sweatshirt. "Hey, isn't that mine?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Why do you have it?"

"I just wanted to borrow it, just for a little bit," Lonnie whispered.

"You can borrow it for as long as you like. If I ever want it back, at least I know where you live," Jason joked, "Are you cold?" She nodded, and Jason took his sweatshirt, unfolded it, and pulled it right over Lonnie's head. "There you go."

He reached for her water bottle and handed it to her. She took a few sips, and he felt her face with the back of his hand. "You're still warm, but not as warm as you were this morning," Jason whispered. Lonnie sat on the couch, still taking small sips from her water bottle.

Jason turned the channel, and Lonnie got up and grabbed her notebook. "Lonnie, you can take a break today. I know you don't feel good."

"I don't feel as bad anymore," Lonnie mumbled.

"How about I read to you instead-."

"I don't need a break," Lonnie insisted.

"Well, maybe you can write a story... Just write about anything," Jason whispered. Lonnie nodded, and Jason left the room to go get a bunch of blankets and pillows. Lonnie looked up as she wrote while Jason moved the furniture around.

Lonnie let out a laugh. "What?" Jason asked, chuckling to himself. He started building a blanket fort, and she laughed once more. "What?" Jason exclaimed playfully. Lonnie shook her head and went back to writing.

He pulled one of the blankets over Lonnie's head, and she fell into a fit of laughter. "Stop it, Daddy!" she exclaimed. They both grew silent.

Jason pulled the blanket off of her head, and he took a deep breath, "Huh... It kind of has a ring to it," Jason replied, tapping Lonnie on her nose, and she let out a little sneeze. "Aww, yucky!" Jason teased as he threw the blanket back over her head. Once he was done, he entered the blanket fort and sat at the table.

"It's too dark to-." Jason interrupted her by turning his phone's flashlight on.

"Wait, I forgot something," Jason replied as he got up and went back to their room to grab his laptop. He sat on the computer typing as Lonnie wrote a journal entry in her notebook.

Jason looked up from his laptop to make eye contact with her. "Drink your juice," Jason reminded Lonnie. She took another few sips from her water bottle. They worked silently for almost an hour, and Lonnie gave Jason her journal. He set his laptop aside, and he took a pen from the table to correct her grammar. By the time he was done reading over her story, Lonnie was fast asleep. Jason made paper hats out of boredom, and he wandered back to the kitchen to make himself some french fries. He heard Lonnie mumble something, and he went back to the blanket fort to check on her, but she was fast asleep.

Lonnie turned over, facing the couch. Jason smiled and turned her back over. He went back to their room, and he tidied up, straightening up her bed and his, wiping down the hard surfaces in the room, and finally, he got around to organizing their closet. Once he was done, he checked on Lonnie, and she lay in the same spot he left her. The doorbell rang, and Jason stood still for a moment. He wasn't expecting anyone. The doorbell rang a second time, and Jason answered the door, stopping in his tracks, staring wordlessly. "That's exactly how I felt when you RSVP'd," Bruce smiled. Lonnie made a noise in the background.

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked. "I mean, not that I don't want you here... You're just here at a terrible time-."

"Jason, do you have someone over?" Bruce asked. Jason nodded.

Lonnie tugged on Jason's sleeve. "I'm hungry," she whispered. Jason picked her up. "He's Bruce Wayne," Lonnie whispered in Jason's ear.

"Yep," Jason whispers, "He's my dad, and he didn't call before he showed up. It's rude."

"And what is your name?" Bruce asked, reaching out to shake her hand.

"I'm Lonnie Elaine Todd. Nice to meet you," Lonnie introduced herself. Bruce looked at Jason in shock.

Jason invited Bruce in. "I can explain. I was going to explain this all to you next week, but you showed up without calling, and she's got a fever today-."

"Jason, slow down... Lonnie, would you like to explain?" Bruce asked gently. Lonnie nodded.

"I tried to steal from him, and he bought me dinner... Then he let me live here and bought me all kinds of cool toys, he killed my grandpa, but he wasn't my grandpa, had his friend, Safiya, teach me magic, and today he said it was okay if I say he's my daddy," Lonnie replied. Bruce looked at Jason, furrowing his brows, and Jason shrugged.

"Honestly, yeah, that's just what happened," Jason replied. He asked Lonnie if it was okay that he and Bruce speak in their room privately, and Lonnie nodded.

Jason closed the bedroom door behind them and immediately started trying to explain himself. "I'm gonna try and move into a nicer place... I'm gonna do a lot of things for her. I just need time to get the money together-."

"I'll give you the money," Bruce interrupted calmly, "How long has she been here with you?"

"Two and a half months almost," Jason replied, "What do you mean you'll give me the money?"

"Exactly what I said. You're not training Lonnie, are you?" Bruce asked.

"Of course not. Lonnie's seven years old... I've got better things planned for her. I just want her to be a normal kid. I really wanted you to meet her next week and not today," Jason sighed, "Besides, you never come here."

Bruce sat on Jason's bed. "Where's her family?" Bruce asked.

"She had a sister, but I only know her as Eenie. She was murdered... Then there's her father, he's dead... And her mom, Kelly Michaels. Comatose," Jason replied. Bruce sighed.   
  
Bruce looked around. "You did a solid job putting that together," Bruce replied. "Jason, she said she was Lonnie Elaine Todd..."

"That's the name I gave her. It's not technically official or anything, but what else was I supposed to do... She's seven, she's a meta, and she doesn't want to go anywhere else. At this point, I wouldn't want to leave her with anyone else... Lonnie's a sweet kid, she's funny, she likes to rollerskate, never takes up more space than she needs to-."

"Know what I think?" Bruce interrupted. "It looks like you care about her, and it's apparent that she feels safe here... But what are you going to do to balance your life out there and your life with her?"

"I'm taking a break from all that, but she keeps me pretty busy," Jason caught himself smiling. Lonnie knocked on the door, and Jason answered. "What?"

"Is he staying for dinner?" Lonnie asked, pointing to Bruce.

"Are you inviting him?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "He'll be your guest."

"Okay," Lonnie replied. Jason stood there for a few seconds and pinched her cheek.

"Well... Go on and invite him, silly," Jason smiled, "I'll be in the kitchen."

"Mr. Wayne-."

"You can call me Bruce," Bruce gently interrupted her. Lonnie nodded.

"Bruce, do you wanna stay for dinner?" Lonnie asked. Bruce nodded. "Were you always Jason's daddy?"

"No, I was not. I met Jason when he was thirteen," Bruce replied. Lonnie led Bruce out of the bedroom and to the fort in the living room. She grabbed her water bottle and took a few sips.

"This is where I put my toys away, and then on this shelf, I keep all my notebooks... He said he'd start putting up pictures of us once we started going more places," Lonnie explained. Bruce smiled and followed her around as she gave him a tour.

"Lonnie, bring me your water bottle," Jason called. She took Bruce by the hand and led him to the kitchen.

"Here," Lonnie replied. Jason took her water bottle and took an eyedropper of medicine, and mixed it into Lonnie's juice, shaking it up.

"I'll just add more juice if you can still taste the medicine," Jason replied. She took a few sips, and he felt her forehead with the back of his hand once more. "Is it bad?" Jason asked. She shook her head. "How's the tour going?"

Lonnie looked up at Bruce. "It's going good," Bruce smiled. Lonnie gasped.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Kyle drew me. See, right here," Lonnie pointed to the fridge, "And I drew Jason and Mr. Frog right here." Jason smiled and went back to making dinner.

"And who drew this?" Bruce asked, pointing to a drawing on the side of the fridge.

"Jason did. See, he wrote his name right here," Lonnie pointed out, "He drew a map of Gotham."

Lonnie took Bruce to the living room and took the fort apart to sit on the couch. "Bruce?" Lonnie asked. He looked over at her. "What was Jason like when he was little?"

Bruce smiled and started to explain to Lonnie how he and Jason met, and she stopped Bruce in the middle of his story. "He stole from you?" Lonnie asked. Bruce nodded.

"Mhm," Bruce replied, "It was actually pretty funny."


	13. Snow Day

Lonnie fell asleep again shortly after dinner, and when she awakened, Bruce was gone. Jason lay in his bed asleep, and she turned to look at him. He made a small noise and opened one eye. "You okay?" Jason asked. Lonnie got out of her bed and climbed in his. "Alright." Jason put his arm over her. "I've got you."

Lonnie smiled and closed her eyes. "Can I still call you daddy when I'm not sick anymore?" Lonnie whispered.

"Of course you can," Jason mumbled. Lonnie drifted back off to sleep, and Jason lay awake for a while. Jason felt her forehead, and he smiled. "All those naps really worked in your favor," Jason whispered to himself.

As the next morning came around, Lonnie woke up and got dressed to play outside. "Daddy!" Lonnie called. Jason sat up.

"What?" he yelled back.

"Can I play outside?" Lonnie asked. Jason rolled out of bed, and he held her face in his hands.

"It's too cold to play outside today. It's snowing," Jason replied.

"What if I want to play in the snow?" Lonnie asked. Jason picked her up.

"You don't have warm enough clothes to play out in the snow-." Lonnie frowned. "Okay, alright, we'll go to the store and get you some warmer play clothes, but you've gotta sit in the car. Under no circumstances are you allowed to get out of the car until I come out of the store. Do you understand me?" Jason asked sternly. Lonnie nodded.

Jason went to the bathroom and got ready to take Lonnie out to the store, and he went to his room, grabbed a hat, slipping it over her head, and put his jacket over her. Lonnie followed him to the car, and he turned the heat on. "And I'm not doing this because I don't want to tell you no. I'm doing this because I need to go to the store," Jason half-lied. Lonnie nodded. Jason drove to the store and went in alone, leaving Lonnie in the car with the heat on. He showed her how to roll the windows up and down, and she locked the car door.

Lonnie watched as Jason made his way into the store, and she climbed into the front seat and messed around with the radio stations.

A few older children rolled past in masks and banged on her window to scare her, and she stuck her tongue out at them. Jason came outside and threw a frisbee at one of their heads. "Get away from her!" Jason hollered.

"Hey, you hit me!" yelled one of the boys, and Jason walked toward the group at a regular pace. Some of them ran off, but some of them stayed in an attempt to be bold. Jason leaned forward in the face of the boy he hit, and he pulled the boy's mask off and crushed it under his foot. "You don't scare me!"

Jason picked the boy up like a small child and smiled. "Cute... What are you, like twelve? Maybe even thirteen?"

"F-fourteen," the boy stammered.

"Wanna make it to fifteen?" Jason asked. The boy nodded. "Stay away from my kid." Jason put him down, and they turned and ran off. Jason tapped on the window and waved at Lonnie, lifting his shopping bags. He went around to his side of the car and got in. "Was I gone long?" Jason asked. Lonnie shook her head.

"No," Lonnie replied. Jason set a bag in the backseat.

Lonnie climbed into the backseat, and he turned to make sure Lonnie was buckled in. "You can put that stuff on when we get in the house, and I'll let you play outside," Jason explained. Lonnie smiled. "Did those kids scare you?" Jason asked.

"No, I'm not scared of them," Lonnie answered.

Jason chuckled, and he told her, "That's good. You don't ever have to be afraid of any of these jerks... I got you a danish." Jason dug through the bag next to him and passed her a neatly wrapped fresh pastry. Lonnie could feel the warmth through the paper.

"Thank you," Lonnie smiled. Jason started driving toward home. Once they got there, Jason took his jacket back and helped her into her winter clothing. Finally, he helped her into a pair of snow pants. "You can't skate out there. It's too slippery, but if you want, I can come out there and play with you for a little-." Lonnie shrieked and pointed to the window. "You're good to go." Lonnie ran out the front door, and Jason opened the blinds so he could watch her play from the kitchen. Jason noticed that she wasn't exactly playing as much as she was just standing still. Jason came outside and threw a snowball at her. She didn't react. "You're supposed to hit me back."

"But Mama, you can't-." Lonnie's breath caught. Jason touched her shoulder, and she turned to him and grabbed his hand.

"Albertine-. What is he doing here?" Kelly Michaels asked. Jason blinked hard and looked at Lonnie. All he could see was Kelly, Lonnie, and snow for miles and miles in every direction.

"Daddy, it's okay... Mama, you can't go-."

"Go? Where is she going? Alberti-. Who is-." Lonnie squeezed Jason's hand.

"Why is he here?" Kelly asked.

"Because he wouldn't get it if I told him..." Lonnie looked up at Jason.

"Tell me what? What is this?" Jason asked.

"I'm trying to talk to my daughter in the only way that I can... What do you call her?" Kelly asked. Jason sat on the ground.

"Lonnie. I call her Lonnie," Jason replied. He was still disoriented by his surroundings.

Kelly sat across from him, and she reached for Lonnie. She held her daughter in her arms and stared at Jason for a while. "Mhm... How long have you had her?" Kelly asked.

"Two and a half months next week," Jason replied. Kelly pressed kisses to the top of Lonnie's head.

"I can tell you're feeding her... She looks good. She tells me you're a nice man. I can't watch you from where I am, so I have to take her word for it," Kelly mumbled.

Lonnie looked at Jason and then at her mother. "Tell him what you told me," Lonnie whispered.

"I don't know him," Kelly whispered.

"He's okay... He's good at keeping secrets. He's nice," Lonnie whispered. Kelly sighed and nodded, letting go of Lonnie.

"When Alberti-. When Lonnie was born, I was running from terrible people. So, to blend in and protect us both, I stayed with a man and his daughter... We fell in love, and I put a spell on him and his daughter to make them believe that Lonnie was his daughter and Eenie's sister," Kelly explained. She took a breath and held Lonnie tighter in her arms. "And we were okay, we were safe... But as Lonnie got older and her abilities blossomed, I started seeing things as she did. No one believed either of us. It drove Paul crazy. He had me admitted, had Lonnie put on medication, even to the point where he started attacking us just for trying to explain..." Jason listened as Kelly spoke.

"Mama..." Lonnie whispered. She put her thumb in her mouth.

"But who is Lonnie's father?" Jason asked.

"That's what I wanted to tell her. Before I was pregnant with her, I had gifts, but I didn't have half the abilities that I do now. I met a man, and he seemed to be the only one who believed me...

And he promised me something. He promised me a child in exchange for becoming his traveling companion. He said the child would be healthy, but she would also be blessed with magical abilities that far surpass my own," Kelly explained. She further spoke to Jason about how she spent the summer traveling with the mysterious man, and at the end of the summer, Kelly found out she was pregnant. The man stuck around and paid for all her expenses for several months until he was murdered in their hotel one night.

Kelly was forced to flee the hotel with just the clothes on her back and the man's diary. She learned through the man's journal that the people wanted to ensure Lonnie wouldn't be born. They feared that Lonnie's abilities would be far too powerful to control as she grew older.

As she neared the end of her story, she told Jason that this would be the last time she would ever see Lonnie. "I'm going to die. I just wanted to know that my baby was taken care of. I wanted to know that she was safe... I wanted to see her and hold her and kiss her one last time," Kelly explained.

"I love Lonnie, and she doesn't wanna go anywhere else. I promise that I'll take good care of her. I promise that I'll protect her," Jason assured.

"Mama, you can't die-."

"But I'm going to sugarplum. Lonnie, does this man keep his promises?" Kelly interrupted. Lonnie nodded. "Well, he promised me that you'll be taken care of. Jason... Is it?" Jason nodded. "Please take good care of my baby." She embraced Lonnie and kissed her. "Time to go, baby." Kelly handed Lonnie over to Jason, and Lonnie kicked and screamed. As soon as Jason blinked, they were back outside of their home, sitting in the snow. Lonnie shoved him.

"It's not fair!" Lonnie screamed. Jason grabbed her and held her.

"I know, Lonnie. I'm so sorry," Jason mumbled. He held her tight as she broke down and cried.

Without warning, she grew quiet, and she clutched his jacket in her small hands. "Whose baby will I be now?" Lonnie asked. Jason kissed the top of her head.

"You'll be mine," Jason whispered, "Mind if we go inside? Snow's really coming down now." Lonnie nodded, and he carried her inside. "I'm gonna make some cocoa. You want marshmallows in yours?" Lonnie sniffed and nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he rubbed her back.

Jason ignored the tears streaming down his cheeks as he took Lonnie to the living room, and he helped her out of her layers. "Why are you crying?" Lonnie asked. Jason swallowed hard.

"Because I just want to make you feel better, but I don't know how to. I feel bad because I don't really understand a lot of it yet, and I feel like I have to really understand what happened to say something that could make you feel better," Jason explained, and Lonnie took her palms and wiped his face.

"Sorry that I hit you... I shouldn't have done that," Lonnie apologized. She threw her arms around his neck, and he held her.

"I don't bruise easily... Listen, I guess it's just you and me from here on out," Jason whispered.

"Not really," Lonnie replied, "We have Kyle and Safiya and Bruce." Jason smiled and let go of her.

"You're a smart kid, you know that?" Jason smiled. "I'm gonna go make your cocoa. Turn something on tv for us."

Jason started heating up the milk. He listened to the tv as the milk warmed up, and he mixed in the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Jason put a bagel in the toaster. Jason could hear the news playing in the background. He turned to stir the hot chocolate, and he pulled some mugs from the cupboard.

As soon as he was done making their cups of cocoa, the bagel popped up, and Jason put some cream cheese on both sides. He carried the mugs to the living room, and then he went back to get the bagel. Lonnie sat a little closer to Jason than she usually did when they ate. Jason nudged her. "See, right there?" Jason asked, pointing to a building in the background. Lonnie nodded. "That's where I met my big brother for the first time."

"Was he nice?" Lonnie asked.

"It's complicated. I think my brother wanted to be nice, but we didn't meet under the best circumstances... He'd like you, though. He loves kids," Jason smiled.

"Is he your only brother?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.

"I've got three other brothers and a sister," Jason answered.

"How come you don't talk to them?" Lonnie asked. Jason took a deep breath.

"My family disagrees with the fact that I kill people, and I've hurt some of them," Jason replied, "I haven't been the best brother to them."

"When I used to fight with Eenie, I used to say I was sorry with food. I'd bring her back something she liked," Lonnie replied. Jason offered Lonnie half of his bagel.

"I don't think that'll work with my brothers. I don't know, but I think apologizing to them might be a good start," Jason replied.

"Then why don't you say sorry?" Lonnie asked. Jason shrugged.

"I didn't think about it until now... But I think it's something I should work on doing," Jason replied. The majority of the day, things were quiet.

Jason started walking Lonnie through a few math workbooks that he'd picked up at the store, and she seemed to do well. Toward the end of the day, Jason made eggs and waffles for dinner, and after they ate, Lonnie sat next to Jason and read one of her favorite books. "Can you read the next one?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded and picked out a book.

Lonnie stuck her thumb in her mouth and read along silently. She nuzzled close to Jason, and he put his arm around her. He continued reading, and he would pause every now and again to see if Lonnie was still awake. She stopped him before the last book ended and asked for another story.

"Lonnie..." Jason looked at her and sighed. "Okay." He finished the second book and got up to pick a third. This time, Lonnie climbed directly into Jason's lap and lay back. Jason started to read the third book, and after about two pages, he noticed she was fast asleep.

He picked her up and got ready to put her to sleep in her own bed when she stirred. "One more book," Lonnie mumbled.

"No more books, Bubba. It's time to go to bed," Jason whispered.

Lonnie held on tight to Jason. "Can I sleep in your bed?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded, and he turned to sit her down on his bed. She lay down by the wall and went back to sleep, and Jason went to bed facing the door.

A few hours after they went to sleep, Jason woke to Lonnie crying faintly. "Lonnie?" Jason turned over and realized she wasn't in the room. He got out of bed and looked around for Lonnie. Jason let out a small sigh of relief after noticing the bathroom light was on. He knocked on the door. "Lonnie, what's up?" Jason asked. She sniffed.

"I'm taking a bath," Lonnie answered through her tears.

"Oh, okay. Well, when you're done taking your bath, do you wanna talk?" Jason asked.

"Can you just talk?" Lonnie asked.

"You just want me to talk?" Jason asked. She made an affirmative noise. Jason went to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl to microwave a late-night snack for himself. Lonnie came out of the bathroom looking for Jason, and the microwave beeped. Jason could hear her crying softly, and he picked her up.

"Hey, Cutie Pie..." Jason opened the microwave with one hand and took his bowl out. He closed the microwave with his elbow, and they went to the living room. Jason blew his food and offered Lonnie some. She shook her head. "Did you want me to wake up?" Jason asked. She shrugged. "Do you want to tell me why you're so upset?"

Lonnie wiped her face. "I can't find Mama," she wept.

Jason nodded. "Is that why you were up?" Jason asked. She nodded. "It must be hard to look for your mom, and she's not there... But, you know she loved you, right?"

"Yeah, but... Now you're the only one left," Lonnie mumbled.

"Nuh-uh, I'm not the only one... And even if I was, I'd never leave you all by yourself," Jason reassured, "I've got a whole family. I've got brothers, a sister, a father... You and I both have Kyle, Artemis, and Safiya as friends-."

"But they'll never be my daddy. You're my daddy," Lonnie mumbled. Jason kissed her cheek.

"And I'm always gonna be your dad... I don't plan on going anywhere. Lonnie, I'm not gonna leave you alone," Jason whispered. He ate a little bit, and she reached into the bowl. "Love you, Lonnie."

Lonnie continued eating quietly before whispering, "Love you too... I feel a little better now."

Jason smiled and held onto her. After they finished eating, Jason tucked Lonnie into her bed, and he washed his bowl. Jason didn't sleep. He only sat with her, waiting until the sun came up. Lonnie slept a little later than usual, but he didn't bother her.

He got up carefully, trying not to wake her, and he got cleaned up and ready to make breakfast. After almost thirty minutes, he heard Lonnie get up, and she came to the kitchen, sucking her thumb. "Good morning," Lonnie mumbled.

"Morning," Jason replied, "Go brush your teeth so we can eat breakfast. It's still snowing out." Lonnie nodded and hugged him before running to their room to get ready. Once Lonnie was dressed, Jason made her a bowl of oatmeal. Jason made himself a bowl, and he followed Lonnie to the table. Jason turned on the tv.

"Mm!" Lonnie smiled.

"You like oatmeal?" Jason asked. She nodded.

"I've never had it before," Lonnie replied.

"It's good that you like it because it only takes a second to make," Jason smiled. After they ate, Lonnie helped Jason wash the dishes, and he helped her into her snow gear.  
  
Jason took her outside to play, and they threw snowballs at each other until it was too cold to stay out.


	14. Baked Alaska

On the day of the gala, Jason received a call from Bruce, and he put the phone on speaker. "Tell Poppy good morning," Jason whispered.  
  
"Good morning, Poppy!" Lonnie exclaimed.  
  
"Poppy?" Bruce whispered to himself. Jason chuckled. "Good morning, Lonnie. What have you been up to?"  
  
Lonnie finished chewing before answering, "We're eating breakfast."  
  
Jason took a sip of cocoa before taking the phone. "How would you like to stay over after the party tonight?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Like a sleepover?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Exactly like a sleepover," Bruce answered.  
  
Lonnie looked over at Jason. "It's up to you. I'll do whatever you want to do," Jason nudged her to give an answer.  
  
"Okay!" Lonnie exclaimed. Bruce chuckled.  
  
Jason finished eating and pressed a kiss to Lonnie's temple before going to the kitchen to wash his dishes. He could hear Bruce and Lonnie talking to each other on the phone, and he let a smile spread across his face. Lonnie came into the kitchen and tugged Jason's shirt. "Poppy wants you," Lonnie handed him the phone and went back to her breakfast.  
  
Jason turned the speaker off. "You're not on speaker," Jason notified Bruce.  
  
"Poppy?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Well, I couldn't have her call you Grandpa. Besides, it's cute," Jason replied.  
  
"I'm not complaining... I was just wondering, isn't it a little soon?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Kelly's gone, Bruce. I need Lonnie to know she's got a family with us... But, thanks for inviting us to stay the night. We go to bed around eight, so it makes it a lot easier to put her to bed on time," Jason whispered.  
  
"How are things going with her?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Good, really good. Lonnie's feeling better. She's breezing through the math workbook I got her... I'm guessing that's an invitation to start adding history onto the list of things I teach her during the week," Jason whispered.  
  
"She likes school?" Bruce asked.  
  
"She hates school. She likes learning. Couldn't make her go to school, so I decided I'd teach her whatever I could at home," Jason answered.  
  
"What are you doing today?" Bruce asked.  
  
"Making strawberry muffins, she's probably gonna give me another not-so-subtle hint that she wants a pet frog, and we'll probably have spaghetti before we get ready to leave for the gala," Jason replied.  
  
"Well, I'll let you get back to your day. I just wanted to check in," Bruce replied.  
  
"I appreciate you checking in, Bruce. We'll see you tonight," Jason replied before hanging up. Lonnie came back to the kitchen to wash her dishes. "What'd he say to you on the phone?" Jason asked.  
  
"He asked me if I was having a good day... Then he asked if you were doing okay," Lonnie answered. Jason smiled.  
  
"So... Can I have a frog?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"When you turn eight, we'll talk about your getting a pet," Jason answered.  
  
"But you don't even know when my birthday is!" Lonnie exclaimed.  
  
"When is your birthday?" Jason asked.  
  
"February second," Lonnie answered.  
  
"Fine, we'll talk about you getting a frog on February second. Until then, I'll get you some books about frogs and let you see if you still want a frog," Jason replied. Lonnie nodded excitedly. "Now that's settled, do you wanna get ready to make the muffins?" Jason asked.  
  
"Uh-huh," Lonnie answered as she read the recipe on the fridge.  
  
They both worked together to mix the muffin batter, and once they were ready to put the muffins in the oven, Lonnie gasped. "What?" Jason asked.  
  
"Did you throw away the rest of the cocoa?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded.  
  
"I'll make you some more later. Drink some water for now, okay?" Jason put the muffins in the oven, and he grabbed his water bottle from the fridge. He took a sip of water, and Lonnie stood up on her step stool and kissed him on the cheek. "What was that for?"  
  
"Just 'cause," Lonnie replied. Jason smiled. "Are we gonna have dinner at Poppy's house, or are we gonna have dinner at home?"  
  
"We're gonna have dinner here, but you can eat at Poppy's too," Jason replied.  
  
"Does Poppy know how to cook?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, Poppy does not know how to cook... That's why he hires caterers," Jason replied.  
  
"Do people dance at those parties?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded. "What if nobody asks to dance with me?"  
  
"Well, you've ruined the surprise. I was gonna ask you to dance. See, I was gonna nudge you and ask if I could have this dance, and then you'd be all surprised. It would've been really nice," Jason replied.  
  
Lonnie crossed her arms. "Are you lying?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, I mean it. I was gonna ask you to dance tonight... Unless you want to dance with someone else," Jason replied. He crossed his arms and looked away from her, pretending to be offended. Lonnie grabbed his arms.  
  
"I do wanna dance with you!" Lonnie exclaimed. She tugged at his arm, and he smiled.  
  
"Phew! I was kind of worried that you wouldn't wanna dance, and I'd have to ask someone I don't know," Jason replied, "Wanna help me get ready to go to Poppy's tonight?" Lonnie nodded. "Pick out your pajamas and two of your favorite books."  
  
"Three?" Lonnie negotiated.  
  
Jason chewed his lip. "Let me see what you pick first, and we'll talk," Jason replied. Jason waited a few minutes for Lonnie to return while he cleaned up the kitchen. Once Jason finished doing the dishes and dried his hands, he made his way to the living room.  
  
"Lookit, I'm you," Lonnie put his jacket on and turned to him dramatically. She picked up a magazine and lounged on the couch. "I met Superman once," she stated casually in a deep voice. Jason chuckled.  
  
"I did actually meet Superman," Jason replied, "That's a pretty solid impression." Lonnie looked up from her magazine.  
  
"No, you didn't," Lonnie replied.  
  
"I did so meet Superman," Jason walked over and tapped her nose. "I meet a lot of people. Did you remember to pick out your books?" Lonnie nodded and went back to their room to get the three books she picked.  
  
"Here," Lonnie replied as she gave him her books.  
  
"For some reason, I thought you were gonna pick a novel or something... You can bring all three. Which one are you reading to me tonight?" Jason asked.  
  
"The second one," Lonnie replied. Jason chuckled to himself. "What?"  
  
"I like the way you read this one," Jason smiled, "Hey, after lunch, I think we're gonna take a nap. What do you think?"  
  
"What if I'm not tired by then?" Lonnie asked. Jason plopped down on the couch next to her.  
  
"Then, we'll go on a walk, and we'll take a nap," Jason replied. Lonnie knelt on the couch and rested her chin on his shoulder.  
  
The stove beeped, and Jason scooped Lonnie up on his way to the kitchen, carrying her under his arm. He put her down to open the oven, and he took two potholders to pull the muffins out. He set the pan on the kitchen island, and Lonnie took out the salami and cheese to make herself a sandwich. Jason made grabbed a plate and the bread from the pantry. He made Lonnie's sandwich and his own while the muffins cooled.  
  
After they finished lunch, Lonnie and Jason went outside and walked a few laps around the house. Lonnie started to slow down, and Jason picked her up. "Ready for that nap?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded, and they went inside. He brought Lonnie a blanket and put her down on the couch, and soon after she fell asleep, Jason went to sleep in the chair.  
  
He awakened nearly an hour before Lonnie, and he took a shower and started making dinner, stopping only to check the time. Lonnie stumbled into the kitchen sucking her thumb. "What's the matter?" Jason asked.  
  
"You got hurt in my dream," Lonnie mumbled. Jason crouched down in front of her.  
  
"I'm right here, and I'm okay. I promise," Jason reassured her. She frowned and held his face in her hands. "See, I'm alright." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Fettucine?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded, and he turned back to the stove to finish dinner.  
  
Lonnie stood on the step stool beside him, watching him cook, and she whispered, "You're a good daddy."  
  
"Thanks, Lonnie. You're a great kid," Jason whispered as he took some tongs and transferred the pasta from the pot to the alfredo sauce.  
  
"Are we gonna have dessert at Poppy's?" Lonnie asked. Jason shrugged.  
  
"I think he'll have dessert. I'm not sure what it'll be, though. You can eat whatever you want at Poppy's. I just wanted to make sure you eat now, just in case you don't like what's being served," Jason replied.  
  
Lonnie stepped down from the stool and waited for Jason to make their plates. "Do you like the food at Poppy's parties?" Lonnie asked.  
  
Jason tried to think back to the last time he'd gone to one of Bruce's galas. "It's hit or miss."  
  
After they ate, Jason ran Lonnie a bath and hung her dress up in the bathroom. "Did you get your pajamas ready for tonight?" Lonnie asked. Jason shook his head.  
  
"I'm gonna do that right after I finish getting ready. I'll be out before you're done taking your bath, okay?" Jason replied. Lonnie nodded. Jason closed the door behind him, and he got dressed in his tux. He took special care to tie his tie, and he opened their bedroom door.  
  
He set his pajamas out on his bed and a set of clothes for the next day before stacking Lonnie's clothes beside his. She came out of the bathroom in her dress, and Jason picked her up and spun her around. "I'm ready to go," Lonnie replied. Jason set her down on the couch.  
  
"I see that! I'm gonna go see if my tie is straight, and we'll get going," Jason replied as he stood in the bathroom mirror tying his tie. He took a little gel and pushed his hair back. Lonnie stood in the doorway, watching him.  
  
"You look like a different grownup," Lonnie mumbled.  
  
"Bad?" Jason asked. Lonnie shrugged.  
  
"You look softer... But you don't look like you," Lonnie described. Jason washed his hands and dried them.  
  
He put their clothes and Lonnie's books in a duffle bag, and Lonnie followed him to the car. Lonnie buckled herself in, and Jason started the drive up to the manor. Jason turned on the radio, and Lonnie started mumbling the words to the song prompting him to look at her through the rearview mirror. Jason began to sing the backup part until Lonnie started to confidently sing along.  
  
"Daddy? Can we take a picture when we get there?" Lonnie asked. Jason made an affirmative noise.  
  
"Yeah, we're gonna take a couple of pictures," Jason answered.  
  
Lonnie looked out the window at the water. "Are we still in Gotham?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's just the other side of Gotham," Jason replied.  
  
"Are a lot of people coming to Poppy's party?" Lonnie asked. Jason made an affirmative noise. "Is it his birthday?"  
  
"No, it's just the time of year where he usually throws a party," Jason explained. Lonnie swung her feet in the backseat. "We're almost there. See that gate at the top of the hill?" Lonnie made an affirmative noise.  
  
"I'm excited!" Lonnie exclaimed, and Jason smiled.  
  
"I'm a little excited too," Jason replied, "There are a few people there already, it started around six, but we're gonna get there right before dinner starts."  
  
"We're only coming for dinner?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, we're coming in time for dinner, but we're staying the night. I bet you if you ask, Poppy'll give you the grand tour in the morning," Jason replied as he pulled up to the open gate and drove up the pathway to a parking garage. "Come on, we're just in time." Jason popped the trunk and opened Lonnie's door. Jason grabbed their duffle bag and took Lonnie's hand before heading inside.  
  
They slipped into the house, checked in, and they were led to their table. Everyone was just starting to sit down at their respective tables, and Lonnie crossed her ankles as she sat down at the table. Jason kissed Lonnie on the cheek. "I'm gonna leave our stuff upstairs. I'll be right back. Let Poppy know where I am if you see him," Jason whispered. Lonnie nodded and dipped her bread in the little bowl of balsamic vinegar, and Jason left her at the table. Lonnie looked around at all the different adults laughing and talking at their tables before a man walked by her table and took read the name card. "You know Jason?" the man asked. Lonnie made a face at him.  
  
"He told me to stay here and wait until he gets back or Poppy gets here," Lonnie replied in a sharp tone of voice.  
  
"Who is Poppy?" the man asked. "No, wait. I'm sorry, I never told you who I am. Dick Grayson. Jason's brother-."  
  
"I wanna see ID," Lonnie interrupted, and Dick chuckled and took his wallet out of his pocket and handed his ID to Lonnie. She looked it over and looked back and forth at him. "You take good pictures... I'm Lonnie Elaine Todd. Nice to finally meet you," Lonnie smiled. She shook his hand.  
  
"Lonnie Elaine Todd? So Poppy is Bruce Wayne?" Dick asked as he sat down next to her in Jason's seat. Lonnie nodded. "And where's Jason?"  
  
"He's upstairs," Lonnie answered casually, "He said he'd be right-."  
  
"Hey, Bubba, I'm-. Dick," Jason stood still. "Hi..."  
  
"Hey," Dick answered and moved over so Jason could take his seat.  
  
Lonnie continued eating bread as the waiter served their dinner. She took her fork and started eating before making a face.  
  
"Bleh," Lonnie mumbled. Jason held back a laugh.  
  
"Jason, can I speak to you-."  
  
"She's my kid, just not in the way you're thinking even though she looks kind of like me," Jason explained. He took his knife and cut a little bit of her salmon to taste it. "Don't eat that," Jason whispered. He ate a plain breadstick.  
  
Dick chewed his lip for a moment. "Is the fish that bad?" Dick asked. Jason took a sip of water and nodded.  
  
"Terrible," Jason replied. Lonnie took her knife and fork and cut a piece of Jason's lamb.  
  
"How come your dinner tastes better than mine?" Lonnie whispered.  
  
"Here, you can have my lamb," Jason replied. Lonnie's eyes widened.  
  
"Daddy," she whispered loudly, "Lamb?"  
  
Jason nodded and ate a little bit of his lamb. "No, yeah. That's good," Jason smiled, "You don't want anymore?"  
  
Lonnie thought about it before she tasted another little bit, and she continued to eat. "Bruce know about this?" Dick asked.  
  
"Mhm," Jason paused to take another bite of lamb. "So, actually, I was gonna write you about Lonnie. She's a complicated kid... I can't really describe her in one sitting-."  
  
"Are you being sarcastic?" Lonnie asked.  
  
"No, I really mean that... You're more interesting than most adults I met," Jason replied. She smiled at him. "I met Lonnie two and a half months ago, and it's been fulfilling. I feel like since I've let her into my life, things have been good," Jason explained.  
  
"Is it a good time to go on a date with Kyle?" Lonnie chimed in. Jason cleared his throat.  
  
"Huh?" Jason asked. Lonnie handed Jason his phone. "Now, when did you find the time to reach into my pocket?" Lonnie giggled as Jason checked his phone, and his face grew hot. "He asked me?" Lonnie nodded. Jason handed his phone back to her, and Dick leaned in at the table.  
  
"Kyle?" Dick asked. Jason ate more of her lamb.  
  
Jason nodded sheepishly before taking another sip of water. "Well, I feel kind of exposed now... Um, anyway... I'm sorry for being an asshole a lot of the time," Jason apologized, "Feel free to completely terrorize me without using that specific piece of information."  
  
Dick nodded for a while. Jason tensed up, waiting to be insulted, and he was surprised to hear Dick say, "Lonnie makes you seem more human... But you being a dad, that's really nice."  
  
"Are you making fun of me?" Jason asked.  
  
"No, I actually mean it," Dick replied.  
  
Lonnie ate some of the potatoes around the lamb and took a sip of her water. Dick started to eat his chicken. "Do you like to rollerskate?" Lonnie asked. Dick nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I don't do it as much as I would like, but yeah, I enjoy it," Dick answered, and Bruce made his way over to the table.  
  
"Hi, Poppy," Lonnie smiled. Bruce smiled back.  
  
"Have you ever been ice skating?" Dick asked. Lonnie shook her head. "It's fun. I think you'd enjoy it."  
  
Bruce started eating the salmon without complaint. After they finished eating, the staff brought dessert over, and Lonnie looked at Jason and tugged his sleeve. "Daddy, what's this?" she whispered.  
  
"Baked Alaska," Jason replied. Lonnie made a face. "Try it. You won't regret it." Lonnie poked the meringue with her fork, and Jason dug into his. Lonnie followed suit, and she danced a little bit in her seat. Bruce, Dick, and Jason chuckled. Lonnie continued to eat her dessert without a word. "See?" Lonnie nodded and continued to eat.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," Dick chimed in. Bruce smiled and used a knife to cut his baked Alaska into sections.  
  
As soon as Lonnie was finished eating, Jason took his napkin and wiped her face. The music started to play, and Jason kissed Lonnie's forehead. "Ready to dance, Bubba?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded, and they both stood up. "We'll be back." Jason took Lonnie's hand and led her to the dancefloor, and she stood on his shoes.  
  
Jason made small steps, and Lonnie hummed softly. "You havin' a good time?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Sleepy?" Lonnie nodded. "Okay, well, it is pretty late, huh?" Lonnie stepped backward off of his feet, and he picked her up. "Thank you for making what would've been a really boring night fun." Jason stopped over by the table and whispered, "We're done for the night... We'll see you in the morning, though." They said goodnight to Jason and Lonnie, and Jason made his way up the stairs to his old room.  
  
By the time Jason put her down, she was fast asleep. He changed her into her pajamas, and he went to his bathroom to change into his pajamas before he climbed into bed. Jason closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	15. New Pup

Jason slept soundly in his old bed, and Lonnie slept curled up into his side. He awakened to a knock on the cracked door and a camera flash. "Jesus!" Jason exclaimed, waking Lonnie as he rubbed his eyes.

"I had a dream that I lived in a dollhouse," Lonnie mumbled.

Jason stretched out and yawned. "Were you a happy doll?" Jason asked as he looked over at her. His eyes were still half-closed.

"I wasn't a doll. I was just small and lived in a dollhouse, and you were looking for me. You couldn't find me, and I tried to tell you where I was, but you couldn't hear me," Lonnie explained. Jason pressed a kiss to her temple.

"How did that make you feel?" Jason replied.

"Scared," Lonnie mumbled.

"I think I understand what that's like... I bet you I would've put up your toys and noticed you in the dollhouse," Jason replied, "You probably woke up before the dream stopped being scary."

Lonnie smiled and climbed out of bed. "Good morning, Uncle Dick," Lonnie waved at him as she got her clothes out of the duffle bag and made her way to the bathroom. Once Jason heard the bathroom door shut, he cursed under his breath.

"What?" Dick asked.

"I promised her we'd take pictures... I forgot to get a picture of her in her dress," Jason muttered.

"I got a picture of you two from last night," Dick replied, "She calls you her dad, you know?"

Jason nodded and sat with his back against the wall. "Well, that's because I am... I didn't wanna be at first, but she's mine. She's been mine since that night she tried to pickpocket me," Jason whispered, "I think we're two peas in a pod..." Lonnie came out of the bathroom in her play clothes.

Jason picked her up and spun her around. He set her down and took his clothes to the bathroom, leaving her with Dick. "Lonnie, how'd you sleep?" Dick asked. She gave him a thumb's up and went to look in Jason's old night table.

"The drawer's locked-." Lonnie laid her palms on top of the night table, and the drawer popped open. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," Lonnie answered in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "Are you the oldest?" Lonnie asked. Dick nodded. Lonnie showed Dick a photograph. "Who is this?"

Dick took the picture in his hands and smiled. "This is Jason," Dick answered, "This must've been right when he first came to live here. I've never seen this picture." Jason came out of the bathroom and saw his nightstand drawer open.

"Jason, when'd you take this picture?" Dick asked. Jason took the picture and put it back in his drawer.

"A few weeks after I moved in. Lonnie, what are you looking for?" Jason asked in a stern tone of voice. She giggled, covering her mouth. Dick stepped closer, taking a peek into the drawer, and he pulled out a little box.

"Are these cigarettes?" Dick asked. Jason grabbed the box and shushed Dick.

"No, they're not. It's my journal... Well, one of them anyway," Jason mumbled, shoving the box in his pocket.

"You kept your innermost thoughts in a cigarette box?" Dick asked.

"Among other places. This one was just the one I brought with me when I moved in," Jason answered. Lonnie reached into the drawer and pulled out a little bag. "You can have that. They're marbles." Lonnie looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you!" Lonnie exclaimed as she shoved the bag into her pocket. Jason closed his drawer again and nudged Lonnie.

"Let's go downstairs and get breakfast," Jason suggested as he took her hand. Dick followed them down the stairs to the kitchen. Bruce sat at the kitchen island, drinking coffee, and reading something on his laptop. Jason took a cereal box from the pantry and made Lonnie a bowl of cereal.

"You put sugar in her cereal?" Dick asked as Jason grabbed the sugar bowl.

"No, because I have cereal that actually tastes good at home," Jason replied. Lonnie nudged him, trying not to laugh at his remark. Jason made himself a bowl of cereal without sugar. Bruce chuckled.

"Lonnie, how did you sleep?" Bruce asked.

"Good, I liked your party last night," Lonnie replied. Bruce smiled. Jason pinched her cheek, and Dick made himself a bagel.

"Lonnie, look at Uncle Dick. That's how serial killers eat bagels," Jason joked.

"Says the person who actually... I mean-."

"It's not a secret," Jason chuckled as he continued eating his cereal. "She knows I kill people."

"Uh-huh, Jason killed my grandpa," Lonnie added, casually. Bruce set his coffee down and looked at Jason. "He wasn't my real grandpa. He was a bad man." Lonnie went back to eating her cereal.

"It's a long story. I'll explain it eventually," Jason replied. Lonnie finished her cereal and drank the milk from her bowl.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, and Lonnie interrupted him by saying, "He said you don't like when he kills people... But when he killed my grandpa, he didn't do anything wrong. Don't be mad at him for that," Lonnie defended Jason. Jason kissed her on the cheek and excused himself.

Dick stayed in place and changed the subject by asking, "So, where do you go to school?" Lonnie shook her head and got up to put her dish in the sink, standing on her tiptoes. Bruce got up and followed Jason out of the room.

"I'm never gonna go to school. Jason teaches me," Lonnie answered, "He said I don't have to go anywhere if I don't want to."

"Oh? What do you like to learn?" Dick asked.

"Math... But I like reading with Daddy too," Lonnie replied.

"Did you like reading before you moved in with Jason?" Dick asked. Lonnie shook her head.

"Daddy taught me how to read. I went to kindergarten to learn, but when my grandpa stole Eenie and me, I couldn't go to school anymore," Lonnie explained. Dick leaned in, propping himself up on his elbows.

"Who is Eenie?" Dick asked.

"Eenie is my sister... Do you like being the oldest?" Lonnie asked. Dick nodded.

"I do like being the oldest," Dick replied, "Did Jason tell you about me?"

"He said you love kids... I think Daddy thinks you don't like him," Lonnie confessed.

Dick frowned and took a deep breath. "Well, I think I do like him... I just don't like a lot of the choices he makes," Dick explained.

"If you still like him, you should tell him. Sometimes, when he doesn't like something I did, he tells me he loves me... Just so I know," Lonnie whispered. Dick nodded.

"That's good advice," Dick whispered back. Lonnie moved to leave the kitchen, and Dick followed her. "Lonnie, wait-."

Lonnie noticed Bruce and Jason having a conversation at the end of the hall. She couldn't make out what Jason was saying, but she could tell he was upset. Jason sat at the foot of the stairs with his face in his hands, only looking up to answer Bruce, and Bruce reached and placed a hand on Jason's shoulder. Dick took Lonnie's hand. "Let's give them a minute, okay?" Dick whispered to Lonnie. "Let me show you where the gym is while we wait for them." Lonnie nodded and followed Dick outside to the garage, where they walked through the car park all the way to a door. "The gym is in here." Dick left the door open as they went in.

"Can you do a cartwheel?" Dick asked. Lonnie nodded and showed him her cartwheel.

Dick chuckled, and he went back and forth with her, seeing what she could mimick on her own, even walking on his hands. "How'd you do that?" Lonnie asked. Dick walked her through it step by step a few times before trying to help her do a handstand. Dick's phone rang, and he held onto Lonnie with one hand and answered his phone with the other.

"We're in the gym," Dick answered.

"Oh?" Jason answered softly. "Ask her if she wants to stay until lunch, and tell her I'll meet you guys there." Lonnie started to laugh.

"I'm still upside down!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Jason asked. Dick held the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he helped her back upright.

"I'm teaching her how to do a handstand... Lonnie, Jason asked if you want to hang around until lunch," Dick asked. Lonnie nodded. "She wants to stay."

"Tell him," Lonnie whispered.

"Tell him what?" Dick asked.

"Tell him you still like him," Lonnie whispered. She walked over to the parallel bars and walked back and forth across them.

"Hey, Jason, you okay?" Dick asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine..." Jason trailed off, and Dick cleared his throat.

"So, you and me... Are we cool?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, we're cool. Don't be weird," Jason laughed before hanging up. Dick looked over at Lonnie and gave her a thumb's up.

"What'd he say?" Lonnie asked.

"He said don't be weird, and he hung up. It means we're okay," Dick replied. Lonnie nodded.

She sat on the bars swinging her feet. "Did Daddy sound sad?" Lonnie asked.

"No, he laughed at me before he hung up-."

"Yeah, but did he sound sad?" Lonnie asked. Dick shook his head, and Jason walked in the door, followed by Bruce. Lonnie jumped off the bars and ran to Jason.

"Can you walk on your hands?" Lonnie asked. Jason nodded and walked on his hands for her. Lonnie looked over at Bruce, and he nodded.

"Who do you think taught Jason?" Bruce asked. Jason picked Lonnie up.

"Having a good time?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Poppy wanted to show you something." Jason put her down, and she looked up at Jason. "What? I'm coming with you." Lonnie smiled and squeezed his hand. Jason sent her ahead of him to follow Bruce, and Dick followed behind Jason.

"She's a smart kid," Dick nudged Jason.

"Dick, we're cool. I meant that this whole being brothers thing doesn't have to be weird... Oh, and um, since I already told Bruce... I'm gonna do something ordinary for a while. No more killing, no more late nights... It's just not in me right now," Jason explained, "I like being a dad. I really do."

"Like a break? Or are you done?" Dick asked. Jason shrugged as they walked back to the house, and Bruce led Lonnie around.

They went up the stairs to the clock in the hall, and Bruce took them down to the cave. Lonnie gasped and looked back at Jason and Dick, and Jason waved. "When I killed her grandpa-. Even though it was one-hundred percent deserved," Jason took a deep breath, "I realized that this isn't who I'm supposed to be anymore... I'm not angry like I used to be. I want to be somebody else for a while."

"You used to be Robin?" Lonnie asked. Dick and Jason both nodded.

"Which one of us are you talking to?" Jason asked. Lonnie covered her mouth.

"You're kidding," Lonnie replied, her mouth agape. Jason shook his head.

"Nope, it's the truth. Dick was the first, I was the second. You'll meet the rest of them at some point," Jason responded. Lonnie looked around at the cave in awe as they all described the different things inside. Once they were done showing Lonnie around, they took her back upstairs to tour the rest of the manor. As they neared the garden outside, Titus came out to greet them.

"Hey, buddy-." Lonnie burst into tears, and Jason picked her up.

"Titus is a good boy. Lookit," Jason whispered. Dick reached out, and Titus placed his paw in Dick's hand. Lonnie hid her face in Jason's shoulder, and he could hear her hyperventilating. "Lonnie, we're gonna take big breaths, okay?" Jason whispered. Jason took a few breaths with her until her breathing normalized, but it didn't stop her from crying. "I know how this feels... I do, but it ends." Dick moved to send Titus out of the room, and Jason shook his head and motioned for him to stay. "I'm not gonna put you down... But I do want you to do one thing, and I want you to do so nicely. Tell Titus to sit." Jason's voice remained calm and steady as he repeated the same exact words for her.

Lonnie turned slightly, still clutching Jason's jacket in her hands before mumbling, "T-Titus... Sit." Titus obeyed, and Lonnie turned back to bury her face in Jason's shoulder.  
  
"See, he's a good boy. Do you wanna come down and-." Lonnie shook her head. "That's alright. You did just fine." Dick motioned for Titus to leave the room, and he went about his way. Jason continued to commend Lonnie for her bravery in a soft tone until Titus was out of sight.

"I'm sorry," Lonnie mumbled, and Jason shook his head.

"You don't have to be sorry. It's okay... Feel better?" Jason asked. Lonnie nodded. "Can I put you down now?"

"Uh-huh," Lonnie whispered, and Jason put her down, but she still held onto his hand. Dick came back. Jason took the bottom of his shirt and wiped Lonnie's face.

After almost two hours, they went back to the kitchen, and Jason made Lonnie a sandwich. Soon after eating, she curled up in the bed in Jason's old room upstairs and took a nap. Jason went downstairs to have a conversation with Bruce and Dick.

"Well?" Jason asked. "Feel free to vent any criticisms you have now..."

"I think you should move back here until you find another place," Bruce suggested.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea for Titus or Lonnie... I'm taking her with me to look at a new place next weekend," Jason replied.

"You're not planning on sending her to school?" Dick asked.

"No, at least not this year. I'm gonna homeschool Lonnie until I can warm her up to the idea of school," Jason paused, "If she still doesn't wanna go, I guess I'll just teach her from home until she graduates."

"Do you know her mother is-."

"Dead? Yeah, I know... There's a crazy story behind that, but the short story is that Kelly is Lonnie's mom. Kelly had magical abilities. She met a strange man who offered her a baby in exchange for becoming his travel companion. At the end of the summer with him, she found she was pregnant, but it was loosely implied that this guy isn't Lonnie's dad.   
  
He got murdered by a cult that didn't want Lonnie to be born because they wouldn't be able to control her powers. Then, Kelly found a man and his daughter, cast a spell that made them think they were a family, and they lived like that until it all went to shit," Jason explained.

"Is Lonnie even human?" Dick asked. Jason shrugged.

"Before Kelly died, she told us that there was a journal-." Bruce got up and left the room in the middle of Jason's sentence. He came back downstairs with a hardcover book.

"I went to the hospital and retrieved this. I didn't open it. I didn't see any reason to," Bruce replied, "You never told me that she was a meta." Jason took the journal in his hands.

"I don't know what she is... She's just a little kid-."

"This sounds eerily similar to-." Jason shook his head at Dick.

"Don't finish that sentence," Jason whispered, "Listen, right now, all I'm worried about is making sure she has space to grow." Lonnie came down the stairs sucking her thumb and dragging their duffle bag behind her. "I'll talk to her about this later on."

"When's dinner?" Lonnie asked. Jason picked up the duffle bag.

"Ready to go?" Jason asked.

"I want a meatball sub," Lonnie replied.

"You can have a meatball sub. Wanna say bye to Poppy and Uncle Dick?" Jason asked. Lonnie waved at Bruce and Dick.


End file.
